This Road Comes from Deneva
by Starsinger
Summary: Role switching story here, so an AU. Kirk is a new Doctor who has been abruptly handed the care of his five year old orphaned nephew (TOS episode: Operation: Annihilate as background), Peter. McCoy is the town drunk who suddenly finds himself the parent to his five year old daughter, Joanna, who was abandoned by her mother. Let the revamp begin!
1. Beginnings

**This Road Comes from Deneva**

by Starsinger

**Role switching story here, so an AU. Kirk is a new Doctor who has been abruptly handed the care of his five year old orphaned nephew (TOS episode: Operation: Annihilate as background), Peter. McCoy is the town drunk who suddenly finds himself the parent to his five year old daughter, Joanna, who was abandoned by her mother. Spock is switching with Uhura, Sulu is now the navigator, Chekov the Engineer, and Scotty the helmsman. No idea how this is going to work out. Don't own them.**

"Uncle Jim?" the small voice asked him. Kirk opened his eyes and they picked out the small form of his nephew standing in the doorway. "May I sleep with you?" the boy looked just like his father, Sam. The same blonde hair and hazel eyes that made Jim's heart ache. Jim lifted up the covers and Peter, and his teddy bear, Henry, crawled into bed next to him. This didn't happen every night, but it had become more and more frequent over the past few weeks.

Jim had been devastated. After years of not speaking to each other, he'd gotten word that his brother Sam, his wife, Aurelan, and two of their three children had died on Deneva. Details were sketchy, but it seemed an alien parasite had landed on the planet and took over the population. The USS Hood, Captain Pike at its helm, managed to find a way to rid the planet of the parasite, but not before Peter had become an orphan. When Pike showed up on Jim's doorstep with the waif in tow, Jim didn't know what to do. He couldn't refuse him, no one wanted him in fosterage, or with Winona, so Jim took him in. He grieved in private and loved Peter in public, never wanting him to feel that he was a burden.

Unfortunately, this left Kirk in a dilemma. He was 22, and had been practicing medicine at the local clinic. When that shut down, all the medical care had moved to Des Moines. Jim was practically out of a job, not wanting to abandon the town that had given him so much. So, he got a job at the nearby Shipyards with another of his specialties, Computer Science. The vessels being constructed there would have the latest in computer and nanotechnology, and as one of the tops in his field, Starfleet had snapped him up to work on their ships.

The dilemma was that he worked odd hours, and couldn't always get someone to watch Peter when he was at work. Mrs. Demorka, the old lady downstairs, most often took over, but, sometimes, he ended up taking the boy with him and letting him sleep on the couch in his office. Engineers got their own offices. The day that Pike had shown up with Peter, Pike had told him to join Starfleet. They could always use more doctors. They even had family housing for cadets in his situation. Kirk sighed and finally fell asleep, Peter resting comfortably at his side.

They awoke the next morning and Jim made breakfast. His eating habits had become more regular now because of Peter's needs. He'd even stopped burning pancakes. Peter thought it was funny how slow his Uncle Jim ate. It never occurred to the boy that it wasn't normal, or his having to remind Jim that he was hungry. Jim left Peter with Mrs. Demorka and reminded her that he'd be late. He was having some drinks with some friends after work.

He arrived late at the bar, having had to work through some technical glitches on one of the ships, the Enterprise, and came swooping in to give Gloria, his friend, a quick kiss on the cheek. They were good friends, and she laughed as he plopped down beside her before ordering a drink, "Jim, you're late. Another bug in the system."

"You could say that," Jim replied. "Also had to stop and check in on Peter."

"You dote on that boy as if he were your own son, Jim…" her voice trailed off as a loud argument seemed to be coming from the bar.

"Hey, cutie, come over here with us," a man said, slurring his words badly. He'd grabbed a woman, by the arm. Admittedly, the woman was beautiful, dark, slender, and wearing an academy teacher's uniform, she informed the drunk cadet to keep his mitts to himself. Kirk rose, "Jim, don't get involved. They're leaving tomorrow."

"I can't stay out of this, Gloria," he added as the Cadet started to make his way out of the bar, woman in tow. Jim got in the way, "Hey, Cupcake! Let the lady go!"

Cupcake let go of the woman as he turned to Kirk, "Who's going to stop me, you?" Kirk ducked as "Cupcake" swung at him. The fight was short, and brutal as Cupcake was joined by three of his friends. Kirk gave as good as he got until he ended upside down over a table. Then, a short sharp whistle sounded as a voice advised, "Cadets! Outside!"

Gloria grimaced as she headed over to the table to help Jim up, "You can whistle really loud, you know that?" he asked the man making his way into the bar.

Pike shook his head, "Your actions are commendable, Dr. Kirk, but what are you doing in this dump?"

Kirk shook his head as Gloria tried to staunch the blood flowing from his nose and looked up at Pike, "Trying to unwind."

Pike looked at Gloria, "Cadet, you should join them outside."

Jim looked at Gloria confused, "Cadet, when did you sign up?"

"That's what I was going to tell you, Jim. I joined Starfleet," she was looking at the floor.

Pike looked at her, "Go, Cadet Smithson, I need to talk to Jim." She left as Pike looked at Kirk, "You've been doing well at the Shipyards. Peter has actually put some weight on you."

"Well, I eat when he eats, and he gets hungry a lot," Kirk mumbled. "What do you want Pike?"

"Join Starfleet, Jim. We need you. You're a good doctor and you're being wasted out here," Pike looked at him. "Shuttle leaves tomorrow morning with the class of new recruits. I've got a command track cadet who's afraid of dying in space, but has a five year old daughter to support, so he joined up. Give it a shot, Jim."

Jim closed his eyes as Pike left, unable to bear the thought of going into space. It had killed his father on the day he'd been born. Ultimately, it had also killed his brother and most of his family, he didn't want to die in space either. He returned home and retrieved Peter before sitting down with the little boy. "Peter, we're packing tonight. We're going to San Francisco to live tomorrow. Uncle Jim is going back to school."

Peter helped Jim pack, as much as a five year old could, and sat down to watch television in his pajamas. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. Jim had Mrs. Demorka drop them off at the shipyards in the morning light. She hugged Jim, wishing him luck, and kissed Peter, who still held onto Henry, telling him to be a good boy. Jim got on board, eyeing Cupcake and his friends wearily, before strapping Peter in next to him. He strapped himself in before another little voice interrupted him, "Hi, my name is Joanna. My Daddy's hiding in the bathroom because he's afraid of flying." Jim turned to find a beautiful little girl sitting next to him, dressed in pajamas and carrying a blanket.

"Did he not tell you not to speak to strangers?" Kirk asked.

"Yes, he did, but you've got a little boy with you, and that's different," she peered over, as much as she could, at Peter, who looked back.

"I had a seat! In the damn bathroom, a place with no windows! I'm aviophobic, that's a fear of dying while in space," the man was being manhandled back across the shuttle.

"Sit down before I make you sit!" the woman handling him shouted. He sat, next to Joanna. Kirk looked at him.

"I may throw up on you kid," Jim was advised.

"Uh, only if you miss Jo, here," Jim added.

"Jo, what did I tell you about talking to strangers?!" the other man asked exasperatedly.

"But Daddy, he has a little boy with him!" Jo protested.

"My nephew, Peter," Jim added hastily. "I'm Jim, Jim Kirk. If you're afraid of flying, why'd you join Starfleet, they operate in space, you know?"

"Well, I didn't have much choice, my wife took everything I had in the divorce. All I have left is my daughter and my bones."

**Okay, I'm putting off the ending to Admiral Marcus, here. He's going to die, honestly. I just can't decide if it's by his own hand before he gets to Qo'noS, or on Rura Penthe being beaten up. Suggestions would be helpful. Please Read and Review.**


	2. A New Home

**A New Home**

by Starsinger

**Peter, Jim, Bones, and Joanna attempt to adjust to their new surroundings, and Kirk realizes that Jo has nothing but the pajamas she's wearing. Fortunately, Mrs. Demorka was overly generous when she was giving Jim kids clothes when Peter first came to stay. Cookies to anyone who can guess where I got the name of the Teddy Bear Peter's been carting around. Hints: It's one of my favorite series currently on television, and it stars the actress who played Winona Kirk. This one should be easy, don't have to be a Trekkie to know it! Don't own them.**

Angela Demorka was a devious woman, whether she realized it or not. When Peter first came to stay with Jim, she'd given him all sorts of clothes and toys, not all of them meant for little boys. For some strange reason, Jim hadn't given away the girl's stuff, and found that he was glad he hadn't. As soon as they exited the shuttle, Jim realized that the duffle McCoy carried only carried his stuff. He wasn't in the least bit prepared for a child, much less a little girl.

Peter, when he realized this, opened the suitcase Jim had brought with them, not the one that was being sent to his housing assignment, and found a little unicorn that was a little too pink for his taste. He pulled it out and gave it to Jo. Jo looked at the tiny pink animal with wide eyes and thanked Peter before pulling the critter into a tight, blissful hug. As they hit the lines, Kirk automatically sought out the Science/Medical part. He nodded at McCoy, not before telling him to come find him for some more clothes for Jo, then headed over to the appropriate line.

"Name," came the bored voice of the woman in front of him. She poked at the PADD in front of her.

"Kirk, Dr. James Tiberius and his nephew, Peter," Jim replied.

Her head shot up as his name appeared on her PADD. "Oh, Dr. Kirk, yes, we've been expecting you," she handed him another PADD. "Okay, we need you to drop Peter off at Starfleet Daycare for a few hours so you can go through the standard process of incoming cadets. You won't have to worry about testing, as you've already graduated from college, and we have those courses on record. But, you'll need to go in for your physical, and get your new uniforms." Kirk watched as she took a deep breath.

She pointed to another screen, "These are your room assignments. As you're going into family housing, you'll be sharing an apartment with Leonard McCoy, another cadet with a child. He's command track so there shouldn't be too much fuss. Apartments have four bedrooms with a mutual living area. As your nephew is a young child, as opposed to an infant or a toddler, his needs will be assessed at the daycare while you are getting other things done. Daycare is free to all Starfleet Personnel, and someone is available at any time of the day, given that you'll be working at the hospital."

Then she pointed to the contract he'd signed, "Remember, there is a minimum six year enlistment in Starfleet for the education you are about to receive, but, with the generational ships they are now building, you'll be able to bring your nephew along with you. You can leave your belongings at the Daycare, they'll keep an eye on them while you're busy."

Jim thanked the woman and followed the GPS system on the PADD to the daycare. A bright young woman in civilian clothes popped over the upper half of a closed door, the bottom half being closed, and smiled at them, "May I help you?" she asked, beaming at Peter who looked curiously up at her. Jim looked inside the room to discover Joanna already inside.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Kirk. I'm dropping off my nephew so I can get us situated," Jim answered.

The young woman, Melanie by name, opened the door to let them in, "Oh, yes, Dr. Kirk, come in. You must be Peter!" The woman squatted down to eye level with the boy. "I'm Mrs. Brooks, Peter. Come on in and we can play some games! Oh, I'm sorry Doctor, just leave your stuff over there in the corner," she waved a hand toward the corner of the room where a stack of bags had already grown. Jim deposited the bags and kissed Peter's head before heading off in the direction the PADD told him to go.

The physical told him things he already knew, he was underweight. It was a problem that he'd had since his rescue from Tarsus IV nine years ago. The medical staff put him on a strict diet regimen, and told him he needed to eat regularly. He laughed when he told them not to worry, his nephew was making sure of that. When he went to his psychiatric evaluation, he, again, told them about Tarsus IV. It wasn't like he was going to be in command of anything, so no one really was concerned about that part of his mental competency. It was, in fact, that period in his life that he stirred him on to enter medical school when he returned to Earth.

Jim had graduated from high school at the age of ten. Gotten into trouble and drove his stepfather's car off a cliff at twelve, and spent a year of hell on Tarsus IV. Taking care of that many kids had spurred him on to want to do research into malnutrition and their effects on the developing body of a child. Yale had accepted him immediately, seeing a child prodigy. The Tarsus IV settlement project had paid for his education, and even his double Doc in Medicine and Computer Sciences, he just had a natural aptitude for Computers.

Jim had returned to Riverside, intent on serving the community he grew up in after graduating at the age of 20, but two years later, the medical center he worked at closed and his nephew landed at his front door step. He was a surgeon and general practitioner, and was snapped up because he already had experience in the medical field. He picked up his uniforms in a duffel bag, retrieved Peter and the rest of his luggage, and headed for the family units.

When they entered the apartment assigned to them, they already found McCoy there, staring morosely at the kitchenette, "Do you know how to cook?" McCoy asked.

"I've been forced to learn. Do you have any clothes for Joanna?" Kirk asked.

"No," McCoy mumbled. "She was left on my doorstep by her mother with nothing but her pjs and that blanket. I found myself here the next day."

"Well, I had an overly generous neighbor who gave me lots of stuff for kids, boys and girls," Kirk opened the bags he'd packed for Peter. "Here, this is all the girl's stuff. I didn't have the heart to give it away. You're more than welcome to it."

McCoy's mouth moved but no words came out, "Thank you."

Kirk smiled, "Just call me Jim."


	3. Quick Note

**Quick note:**

For those of you have been following this story. I'm not satisfied with those last chapters. I've taken them down to revamp what comes in between. **I** feel, and many of you probably agree, that I rushed into it too much. They will be put back up at a later time.

Thank you

Starsinger


	4. The Sorting Hat

**The Sorting Hat**

by Starsinger

**I don't mean that literally, btw. Okay, we're back at the Academy, and Jim and Bones and the kids are all trying to figure it out, with varying degrees of success. Jim has an appointment at the hospital in the morning, Bones has one with Pike in the afternoon, and they both agree to look after the kids while the other is busy. Another reason I'm going back was a question posed by Happy the Exceed. "Who are you sending in to that warp core chamber?" Good question, if I send McCoy, Jim gets the trip with the tribble. Only problem is, Bones is still aviophobic, and that would mean still sending Jim with Khan over to the Vengeance. While not a problem in and of itself, that means M'Benga gets the trip with the tribble. I'm not trading that guy for anything! lol Oh, my head hurts just thinking about it. Don't own any of them.**

Jim awoke. Not a particularly unexpected event, but he didn't expect to have two pairs of eyes staring down at him from atop his chest. "Uncle Jim," Oh, great, Jo was already calling him Uncle Jim, he was in trouble, "can you make us some pancakes?"

Jim eyed the other trouble maker before sighing, "If you let me up, I can." The two instantly scrambled off his person and onto the floor where he sat up and headed for the kitchen. He had remembered that he and Bones had stopped at the Commissary last night to pick up some basic food stuff, including pancake batter. McCoy wandered in at the smell of pancakes, sausage, bacon and eggs. He peered blearily up at his new roommate. "Morning, Bones, our two little alarm clocks had me up a little while ago requesting breakfast."

"I hate mornings, and I suck at breakfast," Bones mumbled.

Jim leaned over the counter and pointed a spatula at Jo, "Is he always this grumpy in the mornings?"

Jo giggled, "Not just in the mornings!"

"Traitor," Bones mumbled.

"Coffee's made, and it's strong. I did used to work in the shipyards, and they liked it strong," Jim said pointing to the coffee maker.

As Bones turned around to return to the counter, he noticed the wedding band on Jim's finger. "Hey," he said pointing to the ring, "things not work out for you either?"

Jim's face saddened as he and Peter looked at each other. Jim reached across the counter to touch the boy's hair, "No, she was on Deneva, along with Peter and his family."

Bones' mouth worked, but no words came out. Deneva was a recent tragedy, unlike Tarsus IV, and it wasn't anybody's fault. The colonists had been unable to call for help, and when Pike's ship arrived, the only reason anyone suspected something was wrong was because one of them drove a ship into the system's sun. That had also given them a clue as how to beat the parasite's insidious hold on the local population. The sun's ultraviolet light destroyed them completely.

Pike's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Puri, summed it up, "The parasite's attached themselves to the central nervous system and took over completely. When we got down to the planet, the people attacked us, and, yet, tried to warn us away, actions and words competing with each other. It took us some time, but after realizing that the sun killed the parasite _before_ the man hit the sun, we were able to come up with a plan of action to kill them. Unfortunately, we were too late for roughly half of the population who died."

Peter's head was bowed, "I miss Mom and Dad and Jennie and Tommy, and Aunt Kitty."

Jim came around and put his arms around the little boy who had lost so much in his short life, "So do I, Peter, so do I. Hey, in a couple of weeks, maybe we can get Grandpa Frank to come over. He's never seen San Francisco."

"Uncle Jim, he's never been outside Riverside!" Peter said with a grin. The smile that lit up Peter's face meant he was looking forward to seeing "Grandpa Frank".

The kids were in their rooms getting dressed as Jim cleaned up the kitchen when McCoy asked, "Who's 'Frank'? I thought your father was, well…"

"Dead? Yes, George Kirk died on the USS Kelvin when I was born. My mother remarried when I was five. A good man named Frank Conners. He took good care of us when Winona was away for Starfleet." Jim sighed, "Winona, my mother, was abusive. She used to beat us. Frank threatened to call Child Protective Services if she didn't stop. He even threatened to divorce her and take us away. He eventually did just that, and I haven't seen Winona in, oh, well, just before I drove my father's car off a cliff when I was twelve. Frank got me off planet, sent me to my aunt and uncle's place, and had it out with Winona. When I got back, Winona was permanently gone and Frank never left."

"How'd you meet Gloria?"

"At my aunt's place, look, I'll be blunt, and this isn't to go passed us. Gloria and I were on Tarsus IV. She returned with me to Frank's, and he took us both in."

"How? I can't even begin to understand how you're still alive, much less sane, Jim. Frank is obviously a good man," he paused as the kids ran out of their rooms. "I'll take a shower first."

Jim's first stop was the hospital. He had an interview with Dr. Puri at 1000. McCoy had an interview with Captain Pike at 1300. They decided that one would watch the kids while the other had their interview, and would meet up for lunch, and after McCoy's interview to go shopping for more stuff for Joanna. Jim arrived at the hospital in plenty of time to see Puri. Able Puri was excited to see Kirk. Most of the first years at the academy had little to no medical training, and here was a full-fledged doctor with several years of medical practice under his belt. He talked to him about the classes he would be taking, and showed him around the hospital. Jim smiled at everyone and was pleasant, but was ready to leave by the time lunch rolled around.

Jim met up with everyone at the mess hall. McCoy noticed the second oddity of Jim's behavior. He took his tray to the far end of the hall and sat down in a corner facing the rest of the hall. His eyes never rested in one place at any given time, as if he tried to keep an eye on everyone and everything. Gloria joined them with the exact same behavior. McCoy filed that away for later. As they were leaving the mess, Commander Uhura came up to Kirk talking excitedly about computers and needing his expertise on a program that was well over twenty years old and needing help. Jim looked down at his nephew and friend, ill-prepared for this encounter when Gloria volunteered to take them back to their apartment and watch them.

McCoy's interview with Pike was long. Pike expected a lot out of him, McCoy was super-smart and sharp as a knife. He also wanted McCoy to have dinner with him and his wife once a week to talk over any concerns that he might have. He was more than welcome to bring Joanna along. He left the meeting with a sense of belonging. Pike always had an eye out for talent, and was willing to help McCoy along the way. He was walking across campus when he ran into a man with another little girl in tow. He smiled down at the young girl, "How old is she?"

"Demora, tell him hold you are," the other man said.

"I'm four and a half years old," the little girl solemnly announced.

McCoy laughed. "I have a daughter about her age. Is she staying with you?" he asked.

"No, she and her mother live here in San Francisco. Makes it easy for a visit. I'm Hikaru Sulu, born and raised here in San Francisco."

"Leonard McCoy, I'm from Georgia," I'm headed back to my apartment to meet up with my roommate. Stuff to do before classes start.

"Don't I know it," Sulu said with a laugh.

They parted as McCoy's PADD beeped at him. He suddenly realized that he must have grabbed Jim's PADD by mistake when his class schedule appeared and the first class was: Xenobiology.

**Okay, happier with this chapter, much MUCH happier. Hope you are too! Please review!**


	5. Classes Start

**Classes Start**

by Starsinger

**Oh, yes, I know, original name, but I'm helping defend beamirang's home from a horde of tribbles being shot out of a cannon just so I can get the next chapter of Fortunate Sons. My friends and I are wielding shovels and baseball bats. I digress. This starts with messages between McCoy and Kirk regarding their PADDs and ends with the Ethics Professor realizing that he has not one, not two, but three Tarsus IV survivors in his class in a VERY dramatic fashion. Don't own any of them. LOVE YOU BEAMIRANG!**

**To: ** Cadet Leonard H. McCoy, San Francisco

**From: **Cadet James T. Kirk, San Francisco

**Subject: **PADDs

Hey, Jim, did you get my PADD this morning? If not, I need to talk to Captain Pike about my weird schedule. I shouldn't be taking anything ending in "ology".

**To:** Cadet James T. Kirk, San Francisco

**From:** Leonard H. McCoy, San Francisco

**Subject: **Re: PADDs

Yeah, I think that's what happened, Bones. I shouldn't be taking anything starting with "Command Track". Am I taking that Ethics Class this semester?

**To:** Cadet Leonard H. McCoy, San Francisco

**From:** Cadet James T. Kirk, San Francisco

**Subject: **Re: PADDs

Yeah, you have it second class on Mondays and Wednesdays. Did you see the first chapter?

**To:** Cadet Leonard H. McCoy, San Francisco

**From: **Cadet James T. Kirk

**Subject: **Re: PADDs

Yeah, I don't know how I'll handle it. Maybe I should talk to Admiral Archer. Whoa, speak of the devil. Catch you later at the apartment.

McCoy kept the kids entertained with Gloria's help and finally Jim turned up after dinner. He shook his head, they'd talk about it after they got the kids to bed. "Archer wanted to know if I'll be coming out as a survivor in that class. Apparently, Gloria, Starfleet's put a lockdown on our records, especially regarding that period in our lives." Gloria wound her arms around Jim's waist and gave him a hug. He absently returned the embrace, and McCoy was suddenly envious of the easy relationship that they had.

"Hey, I took Len out with Jo and we went shopping. Got some really cute clothes for her," Gloria told him.

"There's another survivor here, Gloria, Tom," Jim told her.

Gloria gasped, "Tommy? But his face is…was blown half off!"

"I saw him, Gloria, he's covered it. We all have scars, your arms, my back, Tom's face. Some are just more visible than others," his eyes glistened. McCoy glanced at the two of them. Jim pulled off his shirt and turned his back to McCoy as Gloria rolled up her sleeves. A mass of scars covered Jim's back in a horizontal, almost methodical pattern. Gloria's scars were long and round ones interweaved over most of her upper arms. Some looked like burn marks. "Before you ask, he used a whip," Kirk said.

"Who?" McCoy asked.

"Kodos," they both said together.

"Y'all are part of the Tarsus 9. You know what he looks like," McCoy whispered. They nodded. It was a long night of revelations. Neither spoke of JT. Sunday passed without much happening, and Monday came with a blur. Jim and Leonard managed to get the kids off to day care with little fuss and headed to their respective classes. Jim had refused to say what Admiral Archer had wanted to talk to him about, just mentioned the cute little beagle in his office. They parted ways, Jim to Xenobiology, and Bones to Command Track Tactics 101: Welcome to Hell. He left the class wondering why he hadn't been more interested in Science, it would have been safer.

He entered the Ethics class and glanced around. He found Jim, Gloria, and another man with a metal plate covering half his face in a corner at the top of the room. It was an auditorium shaped room that was expected to hold many people. He joined them as Gloria introduced the other man, "Leonard McCoy, Tom Leighton, Tom, Leonard is Jim's roommate and Jo's father," Tom nodded in welcome and McCoy couldn't help but feel that Tom saw things other than what was normally seen with that prosthetic eye. Jim had his eyes glued to his PADD.

The tall, woman in who entered the room was from Alpha Centauri. Humanoid, they were known for their shocks of white hair, and the men affected long, flowing mustaches. She glanced around the room, "I am Professor Atrice Godald, your Ethics teacher. All of you are first year cadets, and as such, are required to take this course. This may not seem necessary for those of you who are not Command students, but, as all of you will become officers, this is required. Now, if you'll open your PADDs, you'll find the syllabus for the course." She proceeded to talk about what she expected during the semester, and how she expected it. "Now, hopefully, most of you have looked at the book. How many of you have heard what happened on Tarsus IV?" Everyone raised their hands. "Okay, that's good. How many of you had family on Tarsus IV?" Five people's hands remained in the air. "Wow, that's more than I usually get. Okay, of those of you with your hands still in the air, how many of you survived Tarsus IV?"

Godald asked that question of every new class. She never expected anyone to keep their hands raised, and until this day, no one had, but this time was different. She looked up to see three hands still in the air. She swallowed. "Would you three come down here, please?" McCoy watched as Gloria, Jim, and Tom all stood and walked down the steps to the front of the room. "You were on the executioners list?" she asked. It was obvious. Tom uncovered his face, Gloria showed part of an arm, and Jim bared his left shoulder where a long, vicious scar stood out. "Are those your only scars?" she whispered.

"No," Jim responded. "We do have the right to some privacy. We were an inconvenience to Kodos, we chose to live, not die."

"Are any of you members of the Tarsus 9?" she asked. "Did you know JT?"

They answered her questions as best they could. Finally, she turned to the class, "Ladies and Gentlemen, these three present an opportunity not usually available to teachers, much less cadets. Read up on the first chapter. Your first assignment for this class is to write a story about Tarsus IV. You can take the narrative from anyone on the planet: condemned, saved, or executioner. Take the time to talk to them, when they are available for they have their own essays to write, I'm not excusing you from this assignment, and find out their memories of what happened. Keep in mind, they may not want to talk about what happened. They are still healing from a horrific ordeal." The entire class groaned at her words. "We'll talk about it at the next class, dismissed."

Naturally, the professor wanted them available to her other two Ethic's classes as well. Jim and Gloria agreed to be available to them while Tom remained open to this one. They were outside the classroom when they realized they were being approached by one of the male cadets, Jack, who had kept his hand raised when the professor had asked about families. "Please, I need to know. My family and I were off planet when Kodos ordered those deaths. My little sister, Josie, was still on-planet with friends, and we never saw her again. Do you know what happened to Josie Stephens?" Jim and Gloria looked at each other with sorrowful eyes as Tom turned away, barely able to contain his own emotions.

**Please review, I thrive on your good words!**


	6. Wildfire

**Wildfire**

by Starsinger

**Let's see, nine more days until Season 3 of Once Upon A Time Starts, and, I'm also looking forward to Marvel: Agents of Shield. The only thing that would have made this perfect is if this had been another season of Jericho. Still so unhappy they canceled that. Oh, well, still don't own them.**

Word of three Tarsus IV survivors on the campus spread like wildfire, not just through Starfleet, but through multiple communities throughout the Federation. Anthropologists, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, News Commentators, and families of those who died or were never found on Tarsus IV all wanted in on talking to these people. So many people showed up at the apartment door that McCoy stationed a baseball bat by it.

There were a few he let through the door. Starfleet Admirals and families of those missing and killed were those who were let through. First there was Jack Stephens. He managed to get an old picture of his sister from his mother on his comm. His mother stayed on the line as Jim, Gloria, and Tom stared at the little girl for a long moment before Tom finally answered the question hanging there before them. "I was the one who found, Josie. The family you'd left her with had been on Kodos' execution list, and, like a few, didn't go to the square that night. They thought, since they lived on the outskirts of the colony, they'd at least not draw attention to themselves. Kodos' execution squads were quite thorough."

Tom sighed as he continued, "The farm had been torched, nothing was left, but I heard wailing. It was coming from a basement, and so I cautiously went down the steps to find Josie trapped under the body of a young girl who had been shielding her. I didn't know her name, all she could tell us was that it was Josie. She was very sick, and I picked her up and took her back with us. Gloria, do you know what happened to her? She was still alive when JT and I were captured."

Gloria had been thumbing through her PADD. She had kept up with most of the survivors, even those who weren't part of the nine. "Found her!" she said with glee.

Jack looked up to see a picture of a beautiful young woman at a birthday party, her sixteenth birthday party. People surrounded her that obviously loved her. "Jack?" he heard from the PADD.

Jack choked out, barely more than a whisper, "Josie? Oh, my God, is it really you?" Sobs could be heard over Jack's comm as his mother heard her daughter's voice for the first time since she was three.

"Yes, it's me, Jack. I got lucky, I survived that horrible ordeal, and was sent to a foster home. No one knew who I was and a loving family adopted me," Josie started sobbing. "Mommy?"

"I'm here, baby," Jack's mother replied.

Another voice interrupted, "Hi, I'm Saul, my wife, Sonja and I adopted Josie. We've taken really good care of her, and this is the best birthday present I can think of for our little girl."

"We never stopped looking for you, Josie," Jack choked out.

Sadly, such reunions were few and far between. Most were told that their family members died in the square, at their homes, or, tragically, among the children who struggled to survive in spite of being condemned to death. Archer and Pike stopped by late that night as Gloria and Tom went back to their dorms, "Tough day?"

Jim quirked an eyebrow at the Admiral, "What do you think, John? I still have that essay to write, and I don't have a clue as how to start. I am thinking of it as a journal. A day-to-day diary of that period in my life."

"Should work," Archer responded. "John, huh? Well, I am in your home, informally. What do you want done with the people who want to interview you."

"Tell them to go to hell, sir," Jim quipped. "Give them the papers we write and tell them that's all they're getting. It'll die down in a few days."

Pike smiled, "Jim, you may have noticed a few odd additions to your class schedule."

"Uh, yeah, what am I doing taking classes that start with 'Command' anyway?" Kirk asked.

"We feel you have the ability to take a leadership role. You're one of about twenty incoming Cadets who will be taking these classes that will enable you to take control of a starship if need be. Before you ask, I came across a Starship whose entire ship was so sick, I found myself talking to the Ship's Counselor who had put out the distress beacon. Fortunately, it was just something they had eaten two days before. The reason she wasn't sick, was because she couldn't digest the food presented and knew it." McCoy shook his head in laughter. "No, seriously, she was. She had, fortunately, been through the classes and knew what to do. Oh, before you ask, she already had a degree as a counselor from the University of Betazed, and we really couldn't have her getting too bored."

"Anything else I should know?" Kirk asked.

"No, oh, McCoy, command simulations start in two weeks. Be sure to keep in contact with your assigned team before they start," Pike said to Bones.

As the men left, Bones turned to Jim, "Are you sure about this?"

"Me? Nah, I'm making this up as I go along."

Bones stared at his new friend and started laughing. The year was going to be interesting to say the very least.


	7. New Friends

**New Friends**

by Starsinger

**And some not so friendly at first. Spock and Kirk clash from the beginning, but not because of something Kirk directly did. I happy, beamIrang put two chapters out for two stories, one was terrifying, the other kinda funny, but Pike had it coming. Don't own any of them.**

The first thing Kirk noticed about the Vulcan Cadet was that he was very, well, Vulcan. His interest was Science, and, while that was his main focus, he was also in some of the Command Classes that Kirk was taking. The second was that he had very few friends. The third, he was attracted to a very human commander named Uhura, and that attraction seemed to be mutual. He couldn't begrudge them their relationship. He'd once found love himself.

Unfortunately, Peter had other ideas. They were headed back from day care on Tuesday when they saw Uhura across the campus headed in their direction with a purposeful stride. A moments inattention at the home of Admiral Mary Johnson and suddenly Peter had pulled up some daisies and was presenting them to the Commander, roots and all. Jim was mortified, Peter was blushing, and Uhura was very kind. Admiral Johnson was understanding, really, she was a mother of three herself, including two boys. Uhura thanked the little boy with a kiss on the top of his head, kissed Jim on the cheek, and continued on her way with a smile.

Apparently, Spock turned into the green-eyed monster, not that he ever showed it, he was Vulcan after all. He became even colder towards Kirk. Fortunately, the few classes science classes they had together that required a lab partner, he had a friend who willingly helped him out, Dr. Geoffrey M'Benga. The man was already a doctor, like him. The Kenyan government paid for his time in medical school in exchange for four years at the national hospital. M'Benga was a couple of years older than he, but they soon became friends.

McCoy, on the other hand, had made a new friend as well, Montgomery Scott. The man hailed from Scotland, and was intent on becoming a helmsman with a command track bent. It happened that way sometimes. The man had short hair that was receding, and the temper that the Scots were famous for, but he was always good to have your back in a fight. He had a sister in Glasgow that had recently married, but was single himself.

As Pike, Archer and the rest of the Admiralty watched this odd assortment of characters come together they realized they needed close observation. They were all brilliant and ruthless in their own ways. Years later, after losing his first real friend to Khan in the warp core chamber, Spock would stay by his bedside for hours on end and wonder how he could have been so antagonistic toward him. He had literally lost his Vulcan mind and beat the crap out of a man because this man died.

After the fallout of the Ethics class, Jim went to work at Starfleet Medical Center rather quickly. He was still a doctor, and accorded the rank of Lieutenant as such in the hospital. At the Academy, he was still a Cadet. He and M'Benga both held that rank, and it rankled some of the up and coming young doctors that they already had such respect. It never occurred to them that Kirk and M'Benga had already put in the time required for such respect. As it was when a shuttle crashed at the nearby air field, Jim took automatic command of the situation and issued the orders that had become so ingrained in him serving in an ER. M'Benga was right behind him assessing as the injured flowed in. Two shuttles collided mid-air, killing six passengers and crew, fifteen were dead on the ground with another fifty needing immediate attention. San Francisco General would normally have handled them, but they were quickly overwhelmed and sent patients to other hospitals. Starfleet never minded this, it gave their newbies a dose of reality on board a Starship.

"Nearly lost that one," Kirk muttered to a nurse as they exited the OR. "Still might, where's the family?" an orderly showed him to the waiting room. Two of the new doctors watched as Jim filled the family in on their loved one's condition. They watched as the older woman was pulled into the tight embrace of her son as she started to sob. Kirk exited the room, "That never gets any easier." He looked up to see M'Benga standing there with a cup in his hand. "Coffee?" Kirk asked. The other doctor nodded as Kirk quickly gulped the hot liquid.

Jim got home that night to find McCoy supervising Jo and Peter's homework, which consisted of coloring books and crayons. Bones had discovered the crock pot a few hours before and had, with Gloria's suggestion, thrown a pot roast and some vegetables in there and let them cook for six hours. Bones looked up, "Long day? Heard about the shuttle accident."

"Yeah, long day, wet behind the nosed would be doctors thinking you don't know half of what they do even though you actually have a Doctor's Degree and have been doing it for a few years. So glad M'Benga's doing this with me."

"The Kenyan doctor? I heard he's applied to the Vulcan Halls of Healing for the summer."

"Good for him," Jim replied cutting up a potato to be eaten.

Peter smiled at his uncle, "Uncle Jim? Why don't you date Commander Uhura?" Jim promptly started to choke. McCoy started patting him on the back while the offending piece of potato eventually went down the right pipe.

"Peter, why are you asking me this question?" Jim finally answered.

"Because I like her, and she's nice, and it would be nice to have an Aunt again," Peter said softly.

Jim sighed, "Peter, it's not that simple. Uhura and I are just friends, and I know she appreciated the flowers, they were very thoughtful. It's just she's seeing somebody else right now and they're very happy together." Bones rolled his eyes at this statement, a Vulcan actually being happy would be a sight to see.

"You deserve to be happy too," Peter replied.

Jim looked away from his young nephew. He could understand where Peter was coming from, he just couldn't face another relationship right now. "Peter, when I find someone, you'll be the first to know, okay?"

Peter nodded and soon the kids were headed off to bed. "He's a good kid, Jim," McCoy said softly.

"I know, Bones, I just wish that things were as simple as they are in his world," Jim replied sadly. McCoy nodded, he knew exactly what Jim was talking about and agreed.


	8. Shuttleport Accident

**Shuttleport Accident**

by Starsinger

**Yes, there's more to this story than meets the eye. No, no one planned on it happening, accidents do happen. Sometimes, though, people are in the right place at the right time. Say, for example, McCoy, who's deathly afraid of flying, and has been taken there to be shown there's no reason to fear it, it's perfectly safe, and he will be learning to fly one of these very soon. Needless to say, things don't go well, but, poor Bones, he does rise to the occasion. Don't own them.**

Professor Greer was a well-meaning San Francisco native who was in charge of flight training for all cadets who would be tasked with flying shuttles and other of the smaller craft that Starfleet operated. So, as they entered the "safe" shuttleport building, Greer started lecturing them on the ins and outs of managing a busy spaceport. Whether it be in San Francisco, Dallas, or Tokyo, how well trained pilots and managers were in conducting space travel kept everyone safe. Well, that was when shit hit the fan. All Greer heard were gasps as the sky lit up with an explosion, and the sound hit them a moment later, along with a lot of broken glass.

It was noted later that McCoy was first on his feet and galvanizing into action. He started telling people where to go and what to do. He was next out onto the landing field where people on the ground were lying around, many wounded, some dead. Pieces of the shuttles had pretty much settled to the ground at that point, so he was in little danger. He remembered a little of the triage techniques that Jim had been buzzing at him, and first managed to assess those who were dead. For lack of a better way to identify them, he rolled them over on to their backs, or left them there if they happened to already be in that position.

Next, McCoy found himself putting tourniquets on several who were suddenly without limbs. He moved on from victim to victim, and eventually found himself helping the paramedics as they came in to assess the situation. When all was said and done, McCoy had shown his command potential in so many respects that he was given a medal of commendation for his efforts. Unfortunately, it hadn't helped his situation any, he was still afraid of flying, especially now after that incident.

Captain Pike finally brought him into his office to talk to him about flying shuttles, "Is there anyway we can talk you into it?"

"Yeah, if Jim Kirk is there with me, learning how to fly it," McCoy replied.

Later, McCoy heard an earful from Kirk, "I'm taking this class because of your fear of flying?"

"Well, that accident the other day didn't help any," McCoy mumbled.

"Of all the cotton-pickin' things I **thought** you'd talk me into, this wasn't one of them. I'm due in simulator training two hours before this first class!"

"I thought you weren't command track!" McCoy said, perplexed.

"Well, I'm not. They just require someone who's a doctor on sight of any simulator training, just in case something happens. We're not talking flying simulator here, Bones."

McCoy muttered something about getting something to eat as Jo told him to go to bed. Shocked, McCoy turned to look at her. "Well, every time I get grumpy you tell me to go to bed. I think you should do the same," faced with such astonishing logic, McCoy did just that.

McCoy sat between Scotty and Kirk as they waited for their names to be called for the flight simulator. They weren't trusting first year cadets with real shuttles yet, fortunately. McCoy and Kirk had theory out the wazzoo, but this would be the first time that they put theory into practice. "How'd the simulation go?" McCoy asked, trying to take his mind off what was ahead.

"Oh, fine, a few phaser burn, some sore knuckles, and black eye or two, everybody's fine," Kirk replied.

"Wait, I thought that was a simulation!" McCoy said with a strangled look.

"It's third year simulation, not something you'll be involved in for a while yet," Kirk said as Professor Greer exited the simulator, two weary looking cadets leaning on each other as they exited the machine.

"Kirk and McCoy, you're up," Greer snapped. They two men looked at each other with apprehension as they entered the machine. They took off with little effort, and the flight was pretty routine, until an unexpected ion storm hit the shuttle just outside the moon's orbit. Sweating, both men worked feverishly to land the ship at lunar base safely before finally sighing in relief. They'd made it without crashing. "Well, congratulations, Cadets, you're the first to not crash the shuttle today. Of course, everybody else tried to head back to Earth," Greer said with a wry grin. "Go home, I understand you have the rest of the day off."

The two of them trudged back to their apartment, aware that they didn't have to pick the kids up from day care for another two hours. They both needed something to eat and a shower. As they were about to enter the building, they heard a man's voice bellowing across the campus, "Jimmy!"

Bones watched as his best friend turned and his whole face lit up with a smile as he went to hug the stranger, "Frank!"


	9. Frank

**Frank and Other Strange People**

by Starsinger

**Sorry, for some reason, I just can't think of a better title. Go figure. Don't own them.**

Frank was one of the biggest men Bones had ever met. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him, yet he was muscular, due to his years as a farmer. McCoy's own father had passed away after a long illness two years before, and saw the easy relationship that Jim had with this man. Frank turned to McCoy, "You must be 'Bones'!" he said with a chuckle.

"Leonard, please," McCoy said with a chuckle, shaking the man's hand. McCoy's hand was practically engulfed by Frank's large, callused hands. "Okay, you two get something to eat, and I'll go get the kids. You know Peter isn't going to stay in school after he hears Grandpa Frank is here."

Both men grinned as Jim promised to start lunch. When McCoy came home with the kids, Kirk and Frank were outside grilling chicken, hamburgers and bratwurst. "Grandpa Frank!" Peter cried and took off running toward the big man. Frank swept the little boy up in his arms as Peter pelted him with questions. Finally, he managed to jump in as the little boy stopped for a breath, "So, who's your friend?"

Peter looked down at Jo, "Oh, that's Jo, she's Uncle Leonard's daughter."

Frank knelt down to Jo's level, "Hi, Jo, I'm Grandpa Frank." Jo reached out and touched Frank's bristly beard. His red hair and beard made her giggle. They looked around as the smell of grilling burgers floated across the campus. Admirals, captains, and cadets all managed to wander over. The admirals contributed more food, captains brought drinks, out of courtesy to the younger set, they avoided alcohol, and the cadets managed to scrounge up paper plates, utensils, and cups. Jim was not only busy, but very popular.

"Has Jim always been so unaware of how good looking he is?" McCoy asked Frank.

"Oh, he was quite aware of it before he met Kitty. Believe me, I had to make sure he knew how to use a condom," he stopped and grinned at Gloria who came over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Good to see you Gloria! After he married Kitty he was besotted, and so was she. When they returned the bodies from Deneva…" Frank took a deep, shuddering breath. "One of the worst days of my life, I'll tell you. Fortunately, they let us bury the bodies on the farm. The hardest part was they never found the baby." McCoy raised an eyebrow, "Kitty was pregnant, she found out after she arrived on Deneva. Doctor's said she gave birth before she died, but the baby was never found."

"Oh, god, Jim…" McCoy said looking at his best friend. He couldn't even imagine losing Joanna before knowing her. It was a relaxing evening as the setting sun painted colors across the bay. "So, you've never been to San Francisco."

"Not been to many places," Frank replied. "Went off planet once, to Tarsus IV. Wish I'd never made that trip and left Jim there, worst mistake of my life. Marrying his mother was the best mistake of my life. She was a bitch, but I got him and his brother, and I don't need to explain to you what I got out of that."

"Is she still alive?" Bones asked.

"I don't know. She didn't show up for the funeral, thought that would at least attract her attention," Frank looked over in the failing light as Jo and Peter was the center of a gaggle of kids whose parents worked or attended the Academy, or the headquarters. "If Chris, speak of the devil," he smiled at the other man who walked up with another grin, "hadn't shown up with Peter when he did, I have no doubts I would have another grave to add to the farm." McCoy went silent, unable to comprehend his world without both Peter and Jim in it.

"He's a great doctor," McCoy said. "After the shuttleport accident a few days ago, I never thought I'd see him so, well, in charge."

"He'd have been a good command candidate. His father would have been proud," McCoy cocked an eyebrow at him. "Yes, I knew George, good man. We both grew up in a small town, it would have been hard not to have known him. Good, solid man, everyone knew he was going to do great things."

"What about Winona," McCoy had to ask.

"Well, no one was surprised when they got married out of high school, and that they ended up in Starfleet. When she came back to Riverside after George died, she'd changed. She'd doted on Sam before, after, she couldn't control her temper with either boy. Honestly, I married her because I fell in love with the boys."

Pike looked at him, "There's no telling what would have happened to them if you hadn't been there, Frank."

The next day they walked around San Francisco. Frank ended up giving both kids piggy back rides, McCoy smiled as Jo howled with laughter at being so high up. They wound up at a park where they watched as Frank pushed both kids on the swings. "Is he single?" Bones asked.

"Yeah, he divorced Winona when I was away on Tarsus IV. Why? Thinking of introducing him to your mother?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Frank's a Yankee. Think that will go over well?" Jim asked. McCoy couldn't help it, he started laughing. This was going to be interesting.


	10. Family

**Family**

by Starsinger

**So excited, watching the season premiere of "Once Upon a Time", and just watched the actress who played Winona Kirk, give birth to another baby boy, this one named Henry. Sorry, back to the story. Months after Frank's visit, two mothers come into play. Hannah McCoy, needless to say, it very different from Winona Kirk. Don't own them.**

The semester was ending as the seasons were changing. There was a definite bite in the air. Peter smiled as December approached, he loved the Winter Break. In Iowa they would break out the Yule log and throw it in the fire. There would be some presents that week, depending on which holiday they decided to celebrate it would be on the 21st, 24th, or the 25th. One year they even decided to celebrate Hanukah instead. They'd considered Ramadan, but the fasting bit was something that Peter really didn't want to go through. Jim didn't blame him.

So, the Academy finished the semester a week before the winter solstice, and the cadets went home, or stayed on-campus depending on their situations. Kirk and Peter were headed back to Iowa to stay with Frank. Peter was excited, there wasn't snow in San Francisco, and he missed the snow in Iowa. Bones and Joanna were going with them. They'd decided to spend the first couple of weeks in Iowa, to give Jo a white holiday, and then spend the last two weeks with McCoy's mother, Hanna, in Georgia.

Jo had never seen snow before, and the world outside the car door was very white. She met Jim's grandfather, Tiberius, who came and picked them up at the shuttleport. He was also a big man who smiled down at the kids. McCoy was amazed that the man was still alive, but then again, Johnathan Archer was still alive and he was well over one hundred. Jim sighed as Bones looked around, and, in spite of having his daughter with him, tried to flirt with the local ladies mid-conversation. Jim swore that McCoy sometimes had the attention span of a mosquito, on sugar, with ADD. "Bones, we're not here to pick up women, and we have the kids with us, remember?"

"Huh?" McCoy asked looking up from one particularly lovely red head.

"Never mind," Jim muttered as they loaded the luggage into the back of Tiberius' car. Bones' self-effacing nature and ready smile charmed almost everyone, until his irascible moods occasionally got in the way. "Oh, you should know, when word gets out that I'm here, all the neighbors are going to come over with everything from pneumonia to a hangnail. They get a kick out of harassing the 'country doctor' bit. Oh, your hair is on fire."

"Oh, sure Jim, no problem. I didn't realize it was so beautiful here," Jo giggled at Jim's last statement. "What?" he asked the little girl.

"Nothing Daddy," Jo replied with an impish grin. It was a long ride out to Frank's farm, and the warm porch light greeted them as they approached. Jo got out and looked up. "Look, Daddy, we can see so many stars like we could back home!" Jim nodded, he missed seeing the night sky in San Francisco. The light pollution didn't afford the same view as here. Jim sighed, knowing that he and Bones would be out there amongst those stars soon enough.

Bones chuckled, "Yes, we can. Guess what? In a few years, we'll be out there among those stars, seeing them for ourselves." Jo nodded solemnly and followed Peter into the house. "How many times has Peter been out there?" Bones asked.

"Just the once, he was born on Deneva," Jim replied. Bones said nothing, it was quiet in the house as Peter was showing Jo the room he was sharing with Uncle Jim. Jo would be sharing another with her Father. It was Sam's old room.

Jim and Bones turned as Frank cleared his throat, "Uh, Jim, I think you should know. Winona is not only alive, she's hoping to come visit on Christmas."

Jim started, "What did you tell her?"

"That I'd leave it up to you. I do have an injunction against her that's still active if she trespasses, but if there's any chance that the two of you could mend fences, or at least try…" Frank let the sentence trail off. "Jimmy, I'm as proud of you as if you were my own son. You've come such a long way, whatever you decide is fine by me."

Bones watched Jim as he stared at the warm, inviting living room thoughtfully. "Alright, we all have our own demons to face, don't we? Let her come."

Christmas Day came, and that became the default day of celebration that year. They sat around the Christmas Tree and tore open presents, Jim and McCoy smiled as Joanna giggled at her new doll, and Peter raced around the room with a brand new fire engine. Frank had long since repaired to the kitchen to finish Christmas dinner, and Jim confided in him that Frank was the reason he knew how to cook things in a crock pot. Then, they heard it, the knock at the door. Jim took a deep breath as they both heard Frank answer it and rumble a greeting. They heard a woman's higher pitched answer as the room suddenly went quiet. Peter had never met his paternal grandmother, and with good reason, Sam had felt about her the same way Jim did.

Hesitantly, a woman with hair that was going more silver than blonde, stepped into to foyer bearing gifts. Peter looked back at his Uncle and then at Frank before getting to his feet. "Hello, Ma'am, I'm Peter Kirk. Welcome to our home."

**Peter was obviously brought up with some manners! We'll get to Hannah in the next chapter or two. Nicer reunion there.**


	11. Family Reunions

**Family Reunions**

by Starsinger

**To say that Winona is surprised by Peter is almost an understatement. Don't own any of them.**

Winona looked down at the boy with a startled look. He looked so much like his father that it almost hurt, almost. "Hello, Peter, I'm Winona, your…grandmother," she rearranged the packages in her arms and reached down and shook his hand. Peter tilted his head up at her, "It's alright, you don't have to call me that. Winona is fine."

"Win..on…a Winona!" Peter said with a happy smile as he sounded it out. "We've already opened presents, but haven't had dinner yet." Winona watched as he skipped into the living room. She looked up to see her son, her ex-husband, and another man she didn't know with a little girl. The little girl was playing with a doll with a dolly's cradle by the tree.

Jim, the strange man, and Frank stood. The strange man approached, "Hi, I'm Leonard McCoy, Jim's roommate, this is my daughter Joanna."

The little girl glanced up, "Hello."

Winona glanced around the warm living area. "Hello, Winona, good to see you well," Frank welcomed her.

Jim watched as his mother took a deep, steadying breath and approached him with some trepidation. "Here, let me take these," Jim finally said, stepping forward. He relieved her of the packages as she handed Frank the broccoli casserole she brought as a dinner offering. Frank nodded and headed with it into the kitchen, assuring everyone that the roast would be done in a couple of hours.

Jo was thrilled to see her name on one of the presents Winona brought, "Christmas is really for kids. I didn't want to leave her out." Jo opened the package to find a coloring book filled with sea creatures that live and once lived on the Earth. "I wish Earth still had whales," Winona said. "I would have loved to have seen one."

"They were hunted to extinction in the early part of the twenty-first century," McCoy mused. "The pictures I've seen of them, they must have been fantastic to watch." They watched as Peter unwrapped his present. It was a model of the first USS Enterprise starship, Archer's NX-01.

"You heard that Captain April came out of retirement to work on that new ship they're building, Winona, the Enterprise?" Jim asked.

"Robert? Really? How'd they get the old man to come out for that? He hasn't designed a ship in twenty some odd years!" Winona exclaimed.

"No, idea, I heard Admiral Archer was VERY persuasive," Jim said with a grin. He sat back and looked out the window at the falling snow, and suddenly had an inspiration. "Okay kiddos, go get your jackets and gloves on! We're going to build snowmen!" McCoy looked dubiously at the announcement as Peter and Jo scrambled up and upstairs to get their jackets. Jim walked over to gather his as Winona joined him with a gleam in her eyes.

They spent the next several hours rolling snow and finding the normal accoutrements for snowmen, and the occasional snowwoman. Everyone laughed as Jo somehow managed to make her snowwoman glower at her father's snowman. Finally, Frank called everyone in, dinner was ready. It was only after dinner, and the kids had gone to bed that Winona and Jim finally had a serious talk. "Jim, I wasn't a good mother, I know. I was grieving."

Jim sighed, "Winona, I would love to say that it's alright, and everything is forgiven, but I can't. I don't know if everything will. Did you and Sam…" his voice trailed off, not really sure where he wanted to go with this conversation.

Winona sighed, "No, we never got that chance. May I see Peter?"

The plaintive question didn't completely catch him off-guard, "I think you'll understand if I require that these be supervised visits. It doesn't have to be me, but someone I do trust."

Winona went quiet, after a long pause, "You are his guardian, and with my record, they won't trust me with another child. Alright, I agree to those conditions when I'm on Earth. I know where to find you, San Francisco. Jim, I'm so sorry about Kitty."

A lump formed in his throat as he thought of his beautiful wife, "Thank you, Winona. Look, I'm willing to try to work this out, but, just don't push it, okay? Leonard, the kids, and I are headed for Georgia in the next couple of days to spend some time with his Mom."

"I still can't believe you're a doctor," Winona said with a chuckle.

Jim grinned over her shoulder, "Neither can Frank. Come see us when you can."

Frank drove them to the shuttleport and saw them off. He pulled Jim into a big hug, "I'm proud of you, son. Never forget that." Jim returned the hug and watched as Frank scooped Jo and Peter up off the ground. "Now, remember where I hid all that candy so your Dad and Uncle can't find them!" Jim turned a mock scowl on the old man. The kids giggled before he put them down. "It was nice seeing you again, Leonard. You and Jo are welcome anytime." McCoy grinned before taking the proffered hand and shaking it. Thanking Frank before boarding the shuttle.

The shuttle ride took about ten minutes. The difference between the Georgia winter and Iowa winter was dramatic. While it wasn't sweltering heat, it wasn't snowing either, and everyone quickly divested themselves of their cold weather gear. They exited the shuttle and Jim watched Bones' face light up as he spotted a familiar figure waiting for them, "Mother!"

Hannah McCoy resembled her son in many ways. She stood with perfect posture, her hair was dark and her eyes were grey, a cane sat perfectly balanced in front of her with her hands firmly grasping it. In one way, she was very different, she was barely above five feet tall while her son stood at well over six feet. When she smiled, it was the smile she bequeathed both her son and her granddaughter. "Leonard!" she exclaimed, returning the hug he gave her.

"Gramma!" Jo squealed. Hannah bent down and allowed the little girl to wind her arms around her neck. She looked behind Jo and saw Peter standing there nervously, "Hi, you must be Peter."

"Yes, Ma'am," he said very solemnly.

"So formal and polite! Why don't you call me Hannah, or, when you're more comfortable, Gramma," she smiled, giving Jim a wink. Peter nodded. Hannah stood, "You must be Jim. Leonard has spoken a lot about you."

Jim grinned, "And he's told me a lot about you, ma'am. May I call you Hannah?" he asked.

"Hun, you can call me anything, just don't call me late for dinner," she replied. With that, they picked up their luggage and headed for the car.


	12. Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread

**Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread**

by Starsinger

**If this title doesn't scream "This is a Southern Girl!" I just don't know what will! lol Don't own a thing.**

The week that stretched between Christmas and New Year's was filled with the legendary southern hospitality that Jim Kirk had come to expect. Hannah had quickly settled Jim and Peter into their rooms. Rooms wasn't quite the right word for it. The McCoy house was huge. Bones had mentioned that his mother had given the old estate to his sister and moved into a smaller home, but this was not what Jim expected sixteen bedrooms and bathrooms that were more like suites, two kitchens, three dining rooms, two studies, four libraries, a tennis court, an indoor swimming pool, an outdoor heated swimming pool, a sauna, a spa and a Jacuzzi, and it was considered small.

"Uh, Bones, what does the old home look like?" Jim asked after getting lost on the first day.

"I'll have to take you and Peter over there this week. Gillian is expecting us, anyway. Wants to spoil her niece," they watched as Jo raced upstairs. Peter stood beside his uncle, not quite sure to make of this place either. "You should see the pool house out back. It's got three bedroom and two baths," Jim nearly choked. He'd never seen anything like this in person, dreamed about it, yes, stayed in it, no.

They both heard a low chuckle come from their right. "It is small, but we come from money, Jim. I put you and Peter here on the first floor," she said showing them to the left. They went down a corridor to the first two doors. "These are yours, take your time unpacking," Hannah left with a chuckle.

Jim stared, the room was at least three times as big as the one he and Peter had occupied in Riverside. Its colors were soft blues and greens. It had a sitting room, a bedroom, and a giant bathroom with real water. The bed could easily accommodate four people. Jim looked to the right of the bed and discovered French, double doors that opened up onto a porch affording a view of the countryside. "Is this for me and Peter?" Jim asked incredulously.

"Uh, no, Peter's room is next door, and it's a smaller version of this," Bones said with a chuckle. Jim turned to the big walk-in closet. His clothes and shoes and presents brought from Iowa fit easily inside with a lot of room to spare. Next, they investigated Peter's room. It was simply a bedroom with an attached bathroom. The bunk beds were in the shapes of starships to Peter's delight and Jim's astonishment. Jim helped Peter unpack his stuff and sent him upstairs to find Jo. Bones and Jim found Hannah in the smaller of the two kitchens. She was talking with her cook as the two men entered.

Hannah smiled, "So, are your room acceptable? They're not too small are they?" Jim's mouth moved, not quite sure as to how to answer that question.

"They're fine, Mother," Bones answered. "Mother was a Starfleet Engineer, Jim, in a civilian capacity. She designed the latest in warp core technology just before she retired."

"Yes, getting the matter/antimatter mix through the dilithium crystal matrix is always the tricky part," she said with a grin.

"Wait! You're THE Dr. Hannah McCoy? I heard your name whispered with reverence at the Riverside shipyards. I helped work on the computer systems for the Enterprise."

"You're the Dr. James Tiberius Kirk? I heard about your thesis in computer technology that made the systems on the Enterprise even possible!" Hannah said with astonishment. "You have a double doc," she said.

"And a Masters in Engineering. I spent a lot of time in Russia, and not just with Kitty," he said with a sad smile. Hannah looked puzzled at McCoy who mouthed "Deneva" at her. She merely nodded before ushering them into a comfortable living area. A fire had been lit in the fireplace making the room more than comfortable before the kids came roaring down to join them.

Word quickly spread that the town's most eligible bachelor, along with his equally eligible and good looking roommate, were in town. Almost every single lady, and a few mothers came to call. It didn't matter that Leonard was divorced and had a daughter, he was rich, and his friend, while not as well off, was a DOCTOR. The wedding band still on his finger did not deter more than a few women from whispering suggestions in his ear. McCoy watched with a grin as he blushed at some of their more blatant suggestions. Often, Hannah found herself chasing them off with a wooden spoon.

By mutual agreement, they did nothing for New Year's Eve, preferring to stay home and watch the ball drop on the vids with the kids, who were asleep long before midnight. The next day, they all piled into the limo and headed for Gillian's. The McCoy estate was 45 bedroom suites, and with all the amenities found at her mother's, only doubled. Plus a house for the chauffer, and any other staff as they saw fit. The house smelled wonderful as they entered, Jim didn't recognize the odors of cooking foods, but they smelled delicious. No one would tell him what it was either.

Gillian was as warm and inviting as her mother. Her husband and five children joined them. Jim sat down to eat and was surprised at what he was served. "Black-eyed peas and cornbread, just like my mother taught me!" she proclaimed. Each area of the world has their own traditions for the new year, this represented money and good fortune for the coming year. In Iowa, they didn't eat black-eyed peas, it had never occurred to Jim that it was edible, much less good. He ate it with gusto, "Thank you, Ma'am. May I have some more?"


	13. Some Wounds Never Heal

**Some Wounds Never Heal**

by Starsinger

**I know I promised this chapter last night, but my body screamed, "GO TO BED", so I did. I'm dreading this chapter, it's supposed to be sad and I hope I just don't miss the mark. Jim and Bones discuss their marriages on the anniversary of Jim's marriage. Don't own them.**

McCoy's first hint that something was wrong was that Jim was quiet during breakfast. He was normally very vocal and playful with both the kids in the morning, but this morning, he barely put two words together. The essay on Tarsus IV was due that day, and Jim turned his in without saying anything. McCoy caught Gloria putting her arms around Jim, even going as far as rubbing circles on his back to try and soothe him.

Jim hardly spoke at all that day. Chris stopped by and spoke to him quietly. It seemed eerie to McCoy that everyone was walking on eggshells around his roommate. When he went to pick Jo up from daycare, he found Gloria there, picking up Peter. Peter didn't question it, he picked up his bag and followed Gloria out. Bones finally confronted Gloria, she answered, "You need to ask Jim, Len. Maybe I should take Jo as well so you can clear the air." Reluctantly, McCoy agreed and headed back across the quad to the quarters he shared with Jim.

McCoy found Jim sound asleep on the couch, a photo clutched tightly in his arms. When McCoy got a good look at the photo, he saw it was of Jim with a woman, and they were smiling at each other, and she was in a wedding dress. McCoy realized that the woman must have been Kitty. He slipped back out of the room and headed back to Gloria's quarters. She was waiting for him, handing him a cup of coffee. The kids were eating dinner. "Today is Jim and Kitty's wedding anniversary. They would have been married five years today," Gloria told him.

"And she was pregnant," McCoy whispered, sipping at the coffee.

"I remember the baby," Peter suddenly said. Gloria and McCoy turned to him.

"Peter, I know what happened is kind of murky, but what do you remember?" Gloria asked.

Peter's small face was troubled, "Just before those things struck, Aunt Kitty went into labor. Mom went with her to the medical facility, and three days later, Aunt Kitty returned with a baby girl she named Marina. She was alive and healthy at the time of her return." Sadness crossed Peter's face, "I don't remember much after that, except pain. I think a group of people came and took the baby, she was too small to have one of those things inside her, so they took her to wait for to become old enough to be a host. I never saw her again."

"Does Jim know?" McCoy asked.

Gloria shook her head, "This is the first I've heard of this. You go back to Jim, I'll call Chris and see if he saw anything like that on Deneva."

"I'm going back," McCoy said quietly. "Keep an eye on the kids?" Gloria nodded. McCoy thought back on his own failed marriage. He'd met Jocelyn when they were young, barely out of high school. He'd worked in his father's law firm, and intended to attend law school. Jocelyn was a debutante whose family was as well off as his own. For the first few years, she'd supported his work and his desire to become something more. Then it all changed, Joanna was born. Joce had been content to play housewife, but when they added a baby to the picture, everything changed. She became distant and moody. A psychiatrist diagnosed her with Post-Partum Depression. For the first six weeks of Jo's life, Joce couldn't even look at her.

Then Joce's demeanor changed, she started playing with Jo and doing everything that a Mother should do. At least that was what it looked like. Then, they disappeared. McCoy came home to an empty house, devoid of everything, even the furniture. McCoy searched frantically for the next four years for them, to no avail. He'd started drinking, heavily. His friends avoided him, and his father died of a disabling illness for which there was no cure. No one, not even his mother, could bring him out of the darkness. Then, one day, Joce showed back up and gave him back Joanna. He didn't even know she'd been there. He opened the door to hear someone singing softly to themselves. Shocked, he soon realized that the singing came from a little girl and that there were papers on the table. Joce had signed away all legal rights to their little girl, and there were divorce papers there as well. All he had to do was sign them.

McCoy signed them, and got an attorney who told him to agree with the terms. He still had everything, but he had no way to support himself and Jo. That was when he walked into a local Starfleet recruiting office and signed on the dotted line. Four years of education and six years enlistment, he'd be out in the black, with his daughter and a way to make a living without his father's money.

But Jim, McCoy thought he'd had it bad, but Jim had it worse. He opened the door as Jim started awake, "Hey," McCoy said softly. "Is that Kitty?" he asked, sitting down on the couch next to him.

Jim started, "Yeah, on our wedding day, she was so happy."

McCoy sat down on the couch next to him and put his arm around him, "Tell me."

"I met her in Moscow. I was studying Russian and Engineering there on a break from Med School. She was a student there as well, studying to be a teacher. She took me to meet her family two weeks after we met. She knew that I was the one before I did. We spent every day together, and finally, when I was about to leave, I asked her to come with me. I even proposed marriage. She accepted, and I was on cloud 9. I couldn't believe that she would accept me, but she did."

Jim took a deep and steadying breath, "She moved to Iowa, and we were married on the farm." The picture showed the farmhouse in the distance. "I had finished my last year of medical school and done all the internships and specialties I needed before. We settled into an apartment in town, and I settled into the medical center in town. It wasn't a hospital, Riverside isn't big enough for one of those, but we were happy. I even started talking to Sam. I was a little shit, and I didn't care about my family for many years. Winona's beatings took that away from me, I didn't have memories of a kind woman that was my mother, and Sam did. She married Frank when I was five, and he, as you saw, is a decent man, who tried hard to stop the abuse. He still wishes he didn't send me to Tarsus IV, but, he didn't see that he had any choice in the matter.

"Then, the medical center closed down. I didn't want to leave Riverside, so I went to work at the shipyards. My engineering and computer docs coming in handy there. Sam contacted me, he and Aurelan wanted me and Kitty to go to Deneva, they needed a doctor, and I needed a fresh start in life. I agreed, but it would still be several months before my contract with the shipyards was up, and I couldn't leave until then. So, Kitty went. We thought she was pregnant before she left, but weren't sure. She promised that she'd check with the midwives when she got there.

"The very last transmission I received from them was from Aurelan saying they were headed for the hospital, and that Kitty was in labor. I never talked to or saw her again. I think the last thing I said to her was that I loved her. I hope it was." Jim breathed a sigh, "I don't even know what happened to the baby, if it was a boy or a girl. Doesn't matter, the baby's is probably dead as well. I will never get closure on this, Bones. All I have left is Peter." Bones noticed the tears streaming down Jim's face, and he pulled the man into a hug, letting all the stress and tears be poured out onto his cadet red uniform.

They spent the rest of the night getting very, very drunk.


	14. Summertime

**Summertime**

by Starsinger

**It's the end of their first year at Starfleet Academy, and Jim and Leonard have to think about the First Grade for Peter and Joanna. Starfleet handled Kindergarten just fine, but it's off to the public schools of San Francisco for the First Grade, and they are given more advice than they know what to do with. Fortunately, McCoy's family's money has money. Don't own them.**

Peter and Kirk sat down on the couch. The brochures San Francisco and Starfleet sent them on the educational system being very helpful, and very confusing. Jim discovered that Bones decided to take the easy route, a local private school run by Mrs. Donna Ames. None of the schools that they'd seen had really appealed to either Peter or Jim, and they really needed to make a decision before they returned to Iowa for the summer.

"I liked Mrs. Dowers," Peter said in a small voice. Mrs. Dowers had been one of three kindergarten teachers at the first primary school they'd looked at. It was a good school, its students consistently ranked high in globally ranked standardized tests, it just didn't feel right. "I wish we could afford Mrs. Ames though," Peter said in a small voice. Jim sighed, Peter wasn't the only one. Mrs. Ames' school was filled with bright colors and a fantastic library with more actual books than either one of them had ever seen. Donna Ames had mentioned something about scholarships, but Kirk wasn't very hopeful. He'd applied for several of them on the off chance that Peter would get one.

Jim sighed as he finally put his nephew to bed. As he sighed into the couch McCoy came in with Joanna, "Jim! There's another scholarship that you qualify for! You'd probably be the only one applying for it," Joanna stood beaming. Apparently, she'd been the one who'd spotted it. She practically shoved the application at Jim.

"Family and descendants of Tarsus IV?" Jim asked. "I would never have thought to ask about something like this."

"I went through their website," Jo told him. "I was hoping there would be something. It's a 500,000 credit scholarship pot that would more than pay through high school even with books and uniforms." Jo pulled out her PADD and pulled up the site with the information listed. Jim sat contemplating the scholarship. It was one that had been added about ten years ago, just after he'd left the planet. No one had applied for it yet.

Jo had long since joined Peter in dream land when Bones came back in. "You don't have to, you know, but I think Peter would be much happier there. He's a smart kid and they teach with an aim toward how fast or slow the kids learn." Jim nodded, making up his mind. He filled out the information requested, and added permission for Starfleet to release his records regarding his time on Tarsus IV.

It was a week before he heard anything back from the Academy, and it sounded like the poor woman was hyperventilating over the comm, "You're really one of the survivors? You're the first person to apply for the scholarship, and check out as a survivor. This is UNBELIEVABLE! Of course you're nephew is accepted with a full scholarship! Come two weeks before the start of term and we'll release the funds for his uniforms!" Jim shook his head, it was just as well they didn't have to worry about room and board.

Jim and Peter and Gloria said their good-byes with Leonard and Joanna two days after that distinctly one-sided conversation. All three of them had ranked at the top of their classes and their respective tracks.

Returning to Iowa was returning home, even if it was for a few months. Frank came and got them and they all settled back into the farm, and watched the fields grow golden with the various crops they planted. Jim got out on horseback and corralled the cattle back into the barn at night. He was a competent horseman, and loved riding out on the range, or going over to the neighbors and visiting. He wondered if McCoy rode with a chuckle, with all that money he just might. Peter was joining him now. They found a pony for him to ride, a young Shetland that was as hardy as its breed suggested it would be. Frank had found it after Scotty had suggested a reputable breeder in Nebraska. Frank took care of the crops, although it was largely an automated process. He would occasionally get out and inspect the fields. He called the blacksmith when a horse needed shoeing, and was there when a new calf was born to Peter's favorite cow. A young heifer Peter had named Spot.

One day Jim dropped Peter off with Mrs. Demarka for a visit. Angela was delighted, and Jim had received a very distressed call from the Riverside Shipyards, begging him to come in and help with an Engineering glitch on one of the smaller vessels they were working on. It was fortunate he was there. He rolled up into the yards when one of the massive engines fell apart electrocuting three and falling on a dozen others. He put an immediate call into a nearby hospital, alerting them that casualties were headed their way, then he ran over to the switch powering the live cables and turning it off.

Jim resuscitated two of the three electrocutions, and managed to stop severe bleeding in most of the crush injuries. There was nothing he could do about internal injuries, but he set up his own triage, keeping a mental list of who needed to evacuate now, who could wait, and who needed to be made more comfortable. Then, after all was said and done, he made the assessment of the engine, whether or not it could be salvaged, and started the investigation over the accident. It was doubtful he would be there to complete it. Finally, when all was said and done, he found himself writing a report to Starfleet on the incident. The whole thing was a tragedy, five people out of fifteen died, and the chief engineer was one of them. Starfleet asked him to take over the job until they could get someone else out there, or he needed to get back to the Academy, whichever came first.

McCoy, on the other hand, found himself doing many of the same things. His family's estate had horses and he would have been amazed to discover that he and Jim had that in common. He rode out on his favorite bay. Jo had her own pony and she often joined her father on his excursions. He also found himself being flooded by Starfleet in terms of Command Track seminars and manuals that he had to keep up with. He had to be back in San Francisco three weeks earlier than Jim to start those seminars. Jim would also have had to if he already wasn't a doctor. Hannah had promised to let Jo stay in Georgia until Jim would be on his way to San Francisco himself.

It was an idyllic summer that ended all too soon. Bones headed back for his first command seminar where he heard the first whispers of an accident at the Riverside Shipyards.


	15. Return to San Francisco

**Return to San Francisco**

by Starsinger

**Well, I think the name says it all. Don't own them.**

Jim looked up from his desk at the Riverside Shipyards. The paperwork was ridiculous. They had to redesign everything on the side of the ship that fell apart. They were fortunate that it wasn't the Enterprise. That ship was almost ready to be towed into space and taken to the Utopia Planitia Shipyards on Mars. There, the final stages of the Warp Core and engines would be installed. It was done in a place where the fewest numbers of lives would be at stake. Matter/Antimatter mixes were the most precarious of stages in building starships, and the limited atmosphere on Mars meant settlements were far from the shipyards, and repercussions wouldn't affect them.

Jim was waiting to see the ship being towed off safely before he left for San Francisco. He and Peter would make one stop on the way. They were stopping off to pick up Joanna on their way. Yes, it was out of the way, but it meant that Jo could stay with her grandma and friends in Georgia a few weeks longer when her father went back to the Academy.

Jim looked up as there was a knock at the door to find Captain Robert April standing in the doorway, "Dr. Kirk?"

Jim smiled, "You must be Captain April. My mother told me about you."

"Winona is your mother?" April asked. Jim nodded, "And you're sane?"

"She remarried a man named Frank, who was quite sane, and a good man. He's the reason I am sane. You're here to take over the project?" Jim asked.

"That, and watch my favorite lady headed for Mars," April said. Jim grinned as he got up from the desk. April followed him out into the yards. They watched as five tow ships entered the atmosphere and descended to the Enterprise. They positioned themselves around the ship and deployed the tow lasers before heading upward. This had been done so many times that it was down to a science. April and Kirk watched as the ships effortlessly pulled the giant ship up off the ground and out of the atmosphere. "I can't wait to see her fly in space under her own power," April said with a grin.

"Me too," Jim said. "Come on, I need to brief you on a few things. Including that accident a few weeks ago." It turned out that it had been an accident. "The details are in the report, Captain," Jim said standing in front of the desk that April slid behind. "I'm flying back to San Francisco tomorrow."

"At ease, Cadet, you've done fine work. Are you sure you want to be a doctor? You're a damn fine engineer."

Jim chuckled, "I'm already a doctor, Captain. Engineering's just a hobby. Anything else, Captain? I need to get back home and finish packing."

"No, Cadet, good luck. Although, you probably don't need it," April stepped forward and shook Kirk's hand.

The next morning Frank drove them to the shuttleport. Frank gave Peter and Jim big hugs. "Don't be strangers, Jim. At the very latest, I'll see you in December." Frank watched as both of them entered the shuttle. He sighed as the shuttle took off for Georgia.

Hannah stood with her Granddaughter, Joanna, waiting for the shuttle's arrival. Jo was rocking back and forth with excitement. Hannah could barely remember being this excited about starting school. She watched as Jim and Peter exited the shuttle and walked down the concourse toward them. "Jim! Peter!" Jo called running toward them.

"Hello, Jo, nice to see you too!" Jim laughed as she ran into him in her haste to give him a hug. "Nice to see you, Mrs. McCoy," he said to Hannah.

"You too, Jim, Peter. You take good care of them, hear?" Jim chuckled agreement as they turned to board the shuttle back to San Francisco.

It was strange, they arrived in San Francisco an hour before they left Iowa. And they said time travel wasn't possible! Jim gathered their belongings and exited the shuttle before hailing a taxi to the Academy. It was quiet as returning cadets shuffled through intake to find out where they would be living for the next year. New recruits wouldn't actually show up for another two weeks. Jim approached the table with his last name and was given the same apartment he had last year, and was told that the McCoys would be there as well. "We'll be sending you a schedule for the rest of the summer's seminars starting Monday. We know that you have to get Jo and Peter settled before then.

Jim headed for the apartment where they dropped off their stuff, noting that Bones had already made his mark, and headed for daycare where arrangements were made for transportation to Mrs. Ames' Academy at the beginning of the year. He and Peter were due to visit the Academy tomorrow, so they went to the Exchange to buy food and other necessities that he was sure McCoy would have forgotten. When they returned, they found Bones sitting on the couch. "Oh, hi everybody!" McCoy said with a grin. "Nice to see you've returned, with food!"

Jim laughed, always the mundane stuff, "Peter and I are headed for Ames' Academy tomorrow so we can prepare for the new school year."

"Yeah, I'll be going with Jo as well. Need to pick up a supply list," McCoy said. "Hey, is it true what they said? There was an accident at the Riverside Shipyards?"

"Yes, there was, and no, the Enterprise wasn't affected. She's currently on Mars having her engines built," Jim replied, putting away the groceries. "How were the seminars?"

"Mostly long and boring," McCoy answered. "Although, the ones given by actual ship captains, like Pike and Archer, were actually very interesting."

"Really?" Jim asked. "Well, I start Medical seminars on Monday. I bet they'll be just as boring." McCoy laughed. It was good to be home.


	16. First Day Blues

**First Day Blues**

by Starsinger

**Kids are back in school a week earlier than the adults. Which basically means for that first day of school, Jim and Leonard are able to drop them off and pick them up, and meet their teacher. Don't own them.**

"Uncle Jim? Why do I have to wear a tie? You don't have to wear a tie!" Peter said sulkily.

"It's part of the school uniform, Peter," Jim replied. He was donning the cadet reds as he spoke.

"You don't have to wear a tie with your uniform," Peter once again stated.

"Well, you don't have to wear a silly hat either," Jim replied carrying his hat under his arm. Jim sat down on the edge of Peter's bed and helped him tie the tie. He'd had plenty of practice as a student doctor, and then a full blown doctor. "Now, remember, either McCoy or I will be there to pick you up today, unless we call and tell the school to let you know to get on the bus back to the Academy, alright?" Peter gulped as he nodded. "Our last seminars let out half an hour before your school does, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"I love you, Uncle Jim," Peter said.

"I love you too, Peter," Jim replied, giving the small boy a hug. Peter's uniform was pretty typical: white button down shirt, navy slacks, and navy jacket with a navy or black tie and black shoes. Silly hats were not optional. He headed out of their rooms with Peter close behind and saw Joanna similarly attired waiting for Jim to fix breakfast. Jim donned an apron and commenced with breakfast. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, eggs, sausage and toast. Pancakes were a messy affair. Bones straggled in for the eating portion of breakfast, silly hat in hand, and ate what was put in front of him.

They checked out a Starfleet vehicle before heading out into San Francisco's morning traffic. The kids were talking excitedly about their first day of school. They're teacher was Mr. Kinsdale, a human from the Lunar Colony who had to leave the moon at eight years when they discovered he had motion sickness. On something that has little gravity outside the domes, that was a definite problem. He had adjusted rather well to life on Earth, and greeted all of the children in his class as their nervous parents dropped them off.

"Mr. Kirk, Mr. McCoy, I'm glad to finally meet you," he said with a broad smile. He was short, barely topping 5'4" tall, trim, and had brown hair and hazel eyes. He was also, by all reports, an excellent teacher. "You must be Peter and Joanna," they looked up at him, startled. "Go on in and join the rest of the class. I'll be showing everybody what to do with their stuff once the bell rings, alright?" they both nodded and scampered off to class. "Yes, Mrs. Ames told me that you'll be picking up your nephew and daughter today after class, unless something comes up and I'm notified by the school. In that case the Academy Daycare will take care of it. Go on, you two, bell's about to ring." At the mention of the bell, it sounded in the corridor and delinquent pupils scurried to their classes.

They turned as Mr. Kinsdale entered the classroom and spoke to the kids sitting on the rug in front of him. Soon, he was showing where to put their stuff and other areas of interest around the room. Jim grinned at Leonard as they exited the building. "What's your first class?" Jim asked.

"'Alien Linguistics: What Not to Do When a Klingon Comes Up and Head Butts You', you?" Leonard asked.

"'Alien Anatomy: What's the Southbound End of a Northbound Horta'," Jim said with a laugh. "Whoever came up with the names this year has a definite sense of humor." They pulled back into the Academy grounds and checked in their car. "Geoffrey!" Jim called. "How was Vulcan?" The Kenyan doctor had spent the summer learning about Vulcan Healing on Vulcan of all places.

McCoy left them as M'Benga replied, "Hot, dry, and not enough oxygen. It took me three weeks to adjust to the thinner atmosphere!" All three men stopped as they witnessed the new recruits entering the Academy grounds and looking around confused. "Did we look like that last year?" M'Benga asked.

"Yep!" Jim said as they headed across the grounds.

Soon, McCoy caught up with Gary Mitchell and Gloria, both old friends of Jim's whom he had shared classes and seminars with recently. "So, did you go through the required reading?" Leonard asked.

"Dreadfully dull," Gloria replied. "You'd think that Klingons would have come up with one word that meant 'peace' instead of twenty words that meant 'war'."

Gary laughed, "And Eskimos have fifty words for 'snow' isn't it?"

"Something like that," Leonard said.

It was difficult to pay attention to some of the instructors, they droned. Sometimes they had pretty little pictures. Others had war games of sorts. They were called 'tactical analysis in real time situation', but everyone knew what they really were. Unfortunately, two cadets broke their legs, and McCoy ended up in the hospital with a fractured collarbone when he collided with an unplanned tree. He swore it jumped out at him and moved back to the same spot when he looked back up. Jim picked him up on the way back from getting the kids. Dissection was apparently less dangerous than Lieutenant Meely's Tactics Seminar. McCoy's arm would be in a sling for a week.

The next day McCoy and Kirk found himself in charge of the new recruits, giving them lectures on what and what not to do. "The Academy doesn't have a curfew on the weekends, but you still have to sign out and in, along with your intended destination and when you expect to return. This of course does not include the breaks that the Academy has. Be sure to be back on the day you say you'll be back, or Starfleet will come looking for you. This is a military organization, don't let the 'Peacekeeping Force' fool you. You're receiving room, board, and the best education on Earth in exchange for four years service, minimum. Just be glad you don't have to pay for it," Jim said.

"Every cadet of a higher year than you is senior to you," McCoy came in. "Doesn't matter what track they're in. Some, like Dr. Kirk here," McCoy grinned at Kirk. "Hold an actual rank. He is an actual physician. The education he's getting here is what he didn't get at his old school. Off-campus and in uniform, you'd actually salute him." Jim rolled his eyes. "Tomorrow, you'll be going through your physicals and starting your physical training. Those of you with families, this'll work on a different schedule than others." This lecture went on and on reiterating what the cadets should have read up on by now. "Alright, time for lunch, dismissed."

"Is it time for lunch, really?" Jim asked.

"My stomach's complaining," Leonard replied.

"Huh, my stomach's not done that in, well, since I left Tarsus IV," Jim's PADD lit up as an incoming e-mail was put through. "Huh," Jim said.

"What is it?" Leonard asked.

"That story we wrote last year on Tarsus IV. Apparently, my journal won first prize," Jim kept walking, never noticing that a new cadet was watching him very closely, his eyes never left him as he crossed to the school cafeteria.


	17. Odds

**Odds**

by Starsinger

**Jim and Leonard spend the first week of school on an actual starship being tutored by Captain Pike himself. Gloria takes the kids, her first cruise begins the day they return. So, let the fun begin.**

The shuttle docked on the USS Antares. Jim was already missing Peter. He knew the kids were in good hands, and he knew that these cruises were designed to help the cadets become familiar with the way a starship operated. They were the first twenty to board a starship, and they would do this twice a year until they graduated. Sometimes they might be assigned to a space station or an outpost, but the results would be the same. The Antares was one of those Generational Ships, but to bring the kids for only a week would disrupt their routine.

They exited the shuttle and looked around as Captain Pike and his first officer, Commander Nyota Uhura, stepped up to greet them. "Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the USS Antares, here you will start to learn your roles on a starship. My senior officers are here to take you to where you will work. Command Track will go with me. Science will follow Commander Uhura. Medical will go with Dr. Puri, and Security will go with Lieutenant Alexander Scott," the two others mentioned stepped forward and nodded their heads. "Dismissed to your departments," Pike announced.

Leonard smiled briefly at Jim before parting ways. Jim stood before Dr. Puri waiting for word as to what to do. Dr. Puri smiled, "You'll find your room assignments on your PADDs. I understand there are two actual doctors here?" Jim and Geoffrey nodded at him. "Well, at least you won't need help in the Sickbay," this elicited a chuckle. "Well, let's go, you'll get your first introduction to the day-to-day running of Sickbay." He left with his group of five trailing him.

Dr. Puri wasted no time taking them in and putting them to work. Kirk and M'Benga found themselves talking to patients and putting them at ease while assessing their conditions. The majority seemed to stem from some bad apples that had come on board and had been served to the crew in the morning before's breakfast. A hypo took care of most of those stomach woes rather quickly. Jim shook his head as these cases were easily taken care of. The next crewman miss stepped around a Jeffries tube and fallen straight down it and onto the Engineering deck breaking his leg in multiple places. Puri ventured over and watched Kirk deal competently with the injury. He also watched M'Benga help a human woman, in the early stages of labor, get more comfortably settled.

That, unfortunately, was the easy part. The other three cadets were generally getting in the way and not watching what the biobeds actually told them. Jim chuckled, Cadet Ron Nickelson had actually assumed that Kirk knew nothing about medicine when they entered the Academy, and told him not to worry, he'd catch up. Not to him, of course. It was nice to see the snot-nosed brat flummoxed when Kirk was given his first shifts at the hospital, and the rank of Lieutenant.

Christopher looked at the group of cadets in front of him, "Alright, none of you are going to sit in the center chair this trip, but you'll learn to put other skills to use, such as managing people, navigating the stars, shooting phasers and photon torpedoes. Well, you should get the idea. Come on, I'll show you the bridge and other areas you'll need to know." He glanced back to watch Kirk and M'Benga following Puri through the shuttle bay and toward Sickbay. "Well, let's go." They were shown the bridge and taken through the different stations. McCoy was suitably impressed, and had excelled, surprisingly in his mind, at Navigation in the first year. He volunteered to start with Navigation as his first rotation. They would all end up visiting other departments as the week went on, but this was the start.

Each cadet volunteered to take a different duty that day, and Pike was pleased by the volunteers. "Alright, there is one cadet a day who will have the opportunity to follow in my footsteps, so to speak, and see what I, or Commander Uhura, my first officer, does when we take command. This time I choose…McCoy. Report to me at 0800 hours tomorrow, Cadet. You'll get your chance at Navigation later."

McCoy and Kirk found themselves sharing a room on the ship. McCoy wasn't really surprised, they worked well together. They were looking at their shirts Medical Blue and Command Yellow. Kirk's shirt had lieutenant's stripes on it, the rank he wore while on duty at the hospital. McCoy was unfortunately a lowly Ensign.

Jim laughed, "You'd think you'd been insulted, Bones, everyone has to start somewhere."

"Well, I don't intend to stay a lowly Ensign," Bones grumbled. They called Jo and Peter and found that they were missed, not surprisingly. Peter and Jim hadn't been separated longer than a few hours since Peter had landed on Jim's doorstep.

"I miss you Uncle Jim," Peter said, lip quivering.

"I miss you too, Peter, I'll be home by the end of the week."

"Daddy, come home soon!" Jo wailed. "I miss you!

"I miss you too, sweetheart. Be good for Gloria, okay?" she nodded mournfully. They cut the connection. "You'd think we were going to die," McCoy muttered. He rolled over into an uneasy sleep. Space was not his natural habitat, but it was going to have to be. He knew it, and hoped it would become easier.


	18. Parisi Squares

**Parisi Squares**

by Starsinger

**We never actually saw a game of this played, but the feral grin Worf wore in that episode of the Next Generation was priceless. Only real thing we know about this game, other than Klingons love it, is it's dangerous, and people tend to get hurt. So, guess what McCoy gets involved in since Jo's back on Earth and he's not. Don't own them.**

Gloria had taken the kids to the park. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the boys were due back in two days. She didn't have classes and Jo and Peter had gotten restless after school. She fed them and off they went to the park to burn off energy. This park sat close to the daycare on Academy grounds for the families of Starfleet and Federation Personnel. Gloria sat conversing with the wife of the Betazoid Ambassador, Carthala, as they watched the kids play.

"So, are they yours," Carthala asked.

"No, Peter's uncle and Jo's father are on their first training cruise this week. I volunteered to take them. Figured they'd feel more comfortable around someone they were close to," Gloria replied.

Carthala smiled at Gloria and the kids, "You're a good friend."

"So are they," Gloria replied. She glanced around, she kept thinking somebody was watching her.

Carthala looked up, "There's a young man behind us who thinks he knows you. His name is Kevin Riley."

Gloria glanced at the telepath before turning around. Sure enough there stood a young cadet, staring at her. They locked eyes and Gloria smiled. It had been a long time since she'd seen her young friend.

Jim sat back in his chair, covering his face. He'd just gotten off the comm with Gloria. Kev was alive, and at the Academy. Jim let out a slow exhale. He wondered how many more of his kids were still alive, not just the Tarsus 9. He glanced around missing Peter so very much when his comm went off again. "Jim, we need you down in Sickbay. Aftermath of the Parisi Squares game they held earlier."

Jim sighed, the likelihood that Bones wasn't involved in that game was slim to none. He wouldn't do this on Earth where he'd have to immediately explain to Jo where he got the bumps and bruises, no, he had to do it on the Antares, where the only people he'd have to explain it to were Jim and Captain Pike. So, Jim pulled on his blue shirt and headed for Sickbay.

Jim really couldn't say that he was entirely surprised to encounter Spock in the turbolift with McCoy slung over one shoulder, headed for sickbay. He and Spock nodded at each other as the doors closed. McCoy was conscious, at least he was moaning. "How many trips have you made to the Sickbay like this, Spock?" Jim asked.

"Just this one, we ran out of wheelchairs an hour ago. This was the only way to get Leonard to Sickbay," Spock replied matter-of-factly.

McCoy muttered something that sounded like, "Green-blooded hobgoblin" before Spock shifted him into a more comfortable position on his shoulder.

"How is Peter?" Spock asked, trying to make conversation.

"Talked to Gloria a few minutes ago. He and Jo apparently are doing fine. She ran into Kevin Riley at the park," Spock looked at Jim blankly. "Kev was one of the Tarsus 9."

"Ah, that's right, you were also on Tarsus. You are JT, are you not?" Spock asked.

Jim stared at him, "No one's guessed that, ever. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"JT—James Tiberius, a logical connection, but not if you're not looking for it," Spock said with half a shrug. The turbolift doors opened into Sickbay. "Do not worry, Doctor, I will not tell anyone," Spock said softly as he walked over to the nearest empty biobed and deposited McCoy.

"Thank you," Jim said as Spock left. McCoy was a mess. "How do you manage to do this to yourself?" Jim asked McCoy. Leonard just moaned. Two black eyes, a broken nose, a hairline fracture of the jaw, two breaks in the ulna on his right arm, and both big toes were broken. He also had a mess of bruises that Jim hadn't seen since, well, Tarsus IV.

"Okay, Bones, I'm giving you a sedative and something for the pain, because, this ain't gonna be pretty," Jim said before injecting two hypos into Leonard's neck. Leonard was out like a light.

Dr. Puri walked over as Jim was running the regenerator over the last of Leonard's injuries, the broken right toe, "Wow, he made a mess of himself, didn't he?"

Jim shook his head, "He always does."


	19. An Old Ship

**An Old Ship**

by Starsinger

**The USS Antares is an old ship, used mainly for training cruises. This is what happens when the unexpected happens. Don't own them.**

"Orion slavers, god I hate them," McCoy muttered under his breath. "Red Alert! Captain Pike to the Bridge!"

The USS Antares was an aging vessel who was put out for training runs. Due to have been decommissioned years ago, no one had had the heart to scrap it. So, now, an inexperienced cadet was firing back at a hostile ship hell bent on keeping its valuable cargo. The crew of the Antares was just as determined to rescue said cargo.

"What the hell is going on?" Pike bellowed.

McCoy vacated the center seat, "We were on routine patrol when we encountered that Orion Slave vessel. We were keeping to our treaty when we noticed that they were in violation of it. Five Betazoid and two human life signs are registered in the cargo hold."

Slavery was a nasty business, and the Orions wrote into their treaties that five species, including their own, could be owned, sold, and traded as slaves. Humans and Betazoids were NOT among them. "So, you tried to contact them and have them release their contraband?" Pike asked.

"Yes, sir, they fired on us," McCoy replied.

"Everyone knows the penalty for slave trade, Cadet. Lieutenant, hole the bridge," Pike said grimly.

"Yes, sir," the weapons lieutenant replied. There were two sentences for death in the Federation: Talos IV and illegal slave trade. The captain and his crew had just sentenced themselves to that. "Locking phasers," the action was quick as there was a direct hit. "Bridge has been holed, Captain. What's left of the crew is surrendering."

"Good, take the ship into the shuttle bay. I want medical to check over the 'cargo'."

Jim found himself down in the shuttle bay awaiting the ship. It was large enough to barely fit. The security commander, Johanson, opened the hatch of the ship and everyone entered quietly. Fifteen Orion crewmen were standing immediately inside with their hands up. Jim nodded, they were fine. He watched as they were taken to the brig. Jim and several medical personnel followed them to the cargo hold.

There weren't two humans on board, there were fifteen, and the five Betazoids were actually thirty. Most of them were children. Jim ran a tricorder over each of the children, hoping that they would have relatives back on Earth. One little girls, two years older than Peter, made his tricorder ping. He reached down and brought the little girl's chin up, "Penny?" The girl drew away from him, whimpering.

"Papa? You're dead!" she cried.

"Penny, I'm your Uncle Jim. I thought you were dead!" The rest of the medical staff were having dings of matching DNA from their tricorders. The children were all purportedly dead, from Deneva. The girl's blonde hair was long and stringy, dirty from not being washed. She hadn't bathed in at least weeks. "Don't worry, you're safe. Peter's back on Earth too."

Penny reached over and pulled a doll to her and started crying. One of the nurses came over to talk to Jim, "They're all from Deneva, the humans anyway."

Penny sat cradled in Jim's lap as Pike spoke to him in his office. "There were so many dead and dying. We couldn't keep track. You have to remember, Jim, at least half of the population was killed on Deneva. It's more than possible that we misidentified some of the bodies." Jim nodded his head. "How is the cargo?"

"They'll…live, the Orions and others who were legal items don't want to go back," Jim murmured.

"That's understandable, we'll let the Federation authorities deal with them. Go back to your quarters, Jim. We'll be back on Earth tomorrow."

Jim sent a quick note to Gloria, "Please by necessities for a little girl, age 8." Inquiries were already coming in about the identities of the children found. Desperate families on Earth who wanted something from the disaster that was Deneva. Uhura stayed with Penny as she got a shower and cleaned up. She slept beside Jim that night, clinging onto him as if her life depended on him.

Peter, Jo, and Gloria met the shuttle the next morning. Penny was hiding behind her Uncle Jim as they disembarked from the shuttle. She peered out from behind Jim's leg and saw Peter and started crying. Peter practically flew to her and put his arms around his older sister. Jo joined them whispering soft, comforting words to both of them. When they got back to their quarters, another bed had been added to Peter's bedroom, as well as a privacy screen. Gloria helped Penny change clothes from the rags she had been forced to wear.

Jim and Bones sat down on the couch after the kids had been put to bed. They were quiet, "I suppose I should contact Mrs. Ames in the morning," Jim finally said, breaking the quiet. McCoy nodded. Starfleet excused Jim the next day to make arrangements for his niece. She was extremely shy when she met with the headmistress.

"We'll start her in a multi-level class. This is where kids who are in positions like hers can come together in a group environment. We don't know what her levels of education are, but this type of environment will help us sort it out. I'm having one of our counselors go get her uniforms and other supplies, Doctor. If you would follow me?"

Jim was allowed in with Penny who was very introverted. She hid behind Jim who sat on the floor with the other kids. Slowly, gradually, she was being drawn out. Another little girl about her age named Hestia came over and asked her to play. She was lead to some Lincoln Logs, where they devised a way to build new and startling buildings. After about an hour Penny very solemnly declared that she would see Uncle Jim at Daycare after HE got out of school.

Jim laughed at the resiliency of youth, "Well, I've been schooled." Penny's teacher chuckled. Jim couldn't help but wonder if there was another child out there that was his and Kitty's that no one had found yet. He hoped that child had not become the victim of slavers.


	20. Screaming

**Screaming**

by Starsinger

**Somebody's having nightmares, and Jim is powerless to stop it. So he asks for help. Don't own any of them.**

For the fourth night since returning her rescue, Penny woke screaming, "Don't touch me! Please! Don't hurt me! I'll be good!" Jim hauled himself out of bed and went into Peter and Penny's room. It was 0200, and he was unprepared for the level of trauma Penny had endured. His heart ached for the little girl as he pulled her out of her bed, whimpering, and took her back to his.

Penny clung to him as he whispered soft words and rocked her back and forth. She gradually calmed and fell asleep. Jim couldn't sleep. He'd seen the whiplashes on Penny's back from the cruel slavers who never thought that another human would see them. In many ways they echoed the ones on his own back. He was taking Penny to Starfleet General tomorrow to have a regen unit over her scars and to see a counselor. He had seen one after Tarsus IV, and Peter had seen one after coming to Earth after Deneva.

McCoy was still in bed, it was Saturday after all. Joanna was up watching cartoons. Jim made breakfast, and watched cartoons with the kids before Leonard wandered through the kitchen sounding more like the living dead than the just plain living. "Morning," he moaned.

"Morning!" came the all too cheerful chorus.

"How did I get saddled with living with a bunch of morning people?" he groused. Jo giggled as her father poured himself a cup of coffee. "What going on today?" he asked as he dropped onto the couch.

"I'm taking Penny in to see the doctors. Would you mind looking after Peter?" Jim asked.

"Naw, don't mind one bit," McCoy said smiling at the little boy. Peter smiled back, he and Jo had homework to do, but that was later. Jim sent Penny to get dressed and Jim also went into get dressed. He came back out in cadet reds, he was going to Starfleet General, and stuck his tongue out at Leonard who was still in pajamas and fuzzy slippers. "Hey, I've got nothing to do today, except study as well. You know how to find us if we're not here." Jim nodded as he headed out with Penny, "Okay, who wants to go to the park?" McCoy asked mischievously.

It was a long day for Jim and Penny. They first saw a doctor who gave Penny a check-up and her vaccinations. A second doctor gave her a light sedation as he ran the regen unit over her back. The scars faded to nothing. Pictures were taken for the coming trial of the Orion Slavers coming up. Jim wrapped his arms around her shoulders so her face wouldn't be shown. He also looked at the pictures to see that his face was not shown.

"Slavers fed them well," one of the nurses commented.

"According to the crew, apparently, they got more for slaves that were healthy," Jim murmured. The nurse shook her head as she gave the little girl lay in her Uncle's arms. Jim always made sure that she woke up in familiar arms if she didn't wake up back in the apartment. Twice it had been Peter's arms, once Jo's, most of the time it was Jim's. Jim kissed her forehead as she came around. She smiled up at him as he asked, "You okay?" She nodded her head.

They went to the doctor's office, "She's as healthy as can be expected. The nurse is going to give you the medicine for an anti-viral. She's managed to pick up the Pertussis. We don't want her coming down with it with her weakened immune system." Jim nodded, "She should be fine. I'll have her test results forwarded to your PADD along with any recommendations I might have. We'll also be giving you vitamin supplements for her. We just want her to be healthy, Dr. Kirk."

Jim nodded and they exited the office and picked up the medicines before they headed for one more stop. Dr. Stephanie Kines sat down on the floor with Penny where Jim joined them. "Hi, Penny, I'm Dr. Kines, but you can call me Steph. It's what my friends call me." Penny nodded and pressed against her uncle's side. "I know your brother, he's my friend like your Uncle Jim is."

"He is?" Penny asked in a small voice.

"Of course, he talked to me about Deneva. I'm here to listen to you, and help you through everything you've been through." Jim watched as Penny went through some of the toys that lay scattered throughout the office. This was a children's counselor, and she outfitted her office for those she would see. Penny talked about her family and her life on Deneva and her family.

It took all of the hour given them to get her version of her family out. She even talked about Aunt Kitty. Aunt Kitty was a wonderful Auntie who "grew fat" while she was on Deneva. "Was she fat the entire time?" Dr. Kines asked.

"No, one night she left and a couple of days later came back with a baby," Penny said. Jim's head came up. Someone had seen the baby. "She named her Marina."

Stephanie smiled at the little girl, "Well, unfortunately it's time to say good-bye. Can I see you next week?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Penny responded. Jim and Penny finally set off for home. He ordered pizza on his way back so no one would worry about eating.

"We're back!" Jim announced as he entered the apartment to find a Bones and the other kids had built a fort from the cushions and pillows and blankets strewn across the living room floor.

"Did you bring food?" a gruff voice asked somewhere under all that.

"No, but I ordered pizza," Jim said as he watched Penny crawl into the fort.

"Pizza!" came the kids' chorus. A series of grunts could be heard as McCoy exited the fort leaving the kids behind.

"Pizza? Is that the best you could come up with?" Leonard asked.

"You're complaining about not having to cook?" Jim asked.

"I burn water," Len replied. "How'd it go?"

"About as well as can be expected. She's healthy," Jim said. "I'm going to change out of this," he said, nodding at his uniform. Jim cleaned up the living room after the kids had gone to bed. "A daughter," Jim murmured." McCoy looked at him, "I had a daughter. Penny said that she was named Marina."

Len looked at Jim and put an arm around Jim's shoulders, "It's okay, Jim. Maybe we'll find her one day."

Jim was heartened until he opened the next chapter of Starfleet Ethics: "Deneva, Could We Have Done Something Differently?"

**Okay, please read and review/comment. I would really appreciate it. I have plans for that baby to make an appearance, seriously, I do. Just not for a few years yet.**


	21. Deneva

**Deneva**

by Starsinger

**Here it is, the explanation chapter. What happened on Deneva. For those Trekkies out there, this will be a derivation of TOS episode "Operation: Annihilate!" Little changes have been made for the fact that Kirk et al are not out there on the USS Enterprise desperately trying to save Peter's and the rest of Deneva's populations lives. Everyone else, insert Kirk, Spock and friends into the roles of Pike and the rest of the crew for pretty much how the episode went. If you're a fan of Stargate SG-1, yes, there is an episode very similar to this one in the series. This one came first, by about thirty years, maybe forty. Cookies for any Trekkies who can guess where I got the name of the ship. Don't own any of them.**

Professor Simon taught the Ethics class the semester for second year cadets, and she was a kind woman who knew what she was up against in this class. Deneva was a recent and very sore subject. She also knew there were several cadets who had family on Deneva, some of their family died. She also knew that at least one cadet was caring for children left behind by family. This was also the first time in the year since Deneva happened that they would be able to discuss Deneva. The facts were pretty basic.

"Captain Christopher Pike, commanding the USS Hundley, was following a strange series of events. Over the course of several centuries, planets with major civilizations in a certain pattern had gone completely mad and been wiped out," Simon clicked the viewer. It showed a definite pattern to the planets. "Now, there were several planets with inhabitants that were en route of this pattern, including Deneva. Several weeks before, Starfleet had received a strange communique from Deneva that included a woman laughing hysterically, telling them that they were all mad. The woman was later identified as Aurelan Kirk, wife of Dr. George Samuel Kirk. Known as Sam to his friends and family, Sam and his wife lived on Deneva with their four children and sister-in-law, Ekaterina," Jim swallowed hard. He felt a hand creep into his on his left and an arm touch his shoulder on his right. He smiled gratefully at Gloria and Bones.

"So, Captain Pike went to Deneva. Upon arrival, they encountered a ship that was heading straight for the local primary. The pilot shouted that he wanted to be free. Just before the ship succumbed to the heat of the sun, he shouted that it was gone, he was finally free. Understandably perplexed, Pike attempted to have his communications officer, Tawney, contact the planet. No one answered. They beamed down to the planet to be attacked by a group of men wielding weapons and warning them away. Their actions and their words at complete odds to each other that Pike and his away team were forced to stun them. They found the Kirk household and found Aurelan and Peter Kirk still alive. Aurelan was screaming, and holding a vent cover in her hands, looking as if she was trying to keep something out. The other inhabitants were either missing or dead."

Simon paused and looked sympathetically at the back of the room, her eyes meeting with Kirk's. "I know this is difficult for some of you to hear. Some of you lost family on Deneva," several cadets refused to meet her eyes. "Peter and Aurelan were transported back to the Hundley's sick bay while the bodies of the other members of the Kirk family were put in cold storage. Dr. Puri could only determine that something was causing them great pain, and kept both of them under sedation. Aurelan was fighting the sedation, and tried to warn them about what was going on down on the planet, but died before they could understand."

Simon sighed, "They returned to the surface of the planet and inside one of the buildings found a horde of single-celled organisms. One of them attached themselves to the back of Science Officer Segorn, of Vulcan, and was successfully removed before they beamed up to the Hundley. Dr. Puri discovered that the creature had physically attached itself to the Vulcan's spinal chord and was controlling the officer. He attempted to remove the creature, only to have Segorn nearly die on him. The extent of the control of the creature was not realized until Segorn tried to take over the ship and beam the creatures on board for a visit to the next planet. He was stunned.

"Through investigation of the creatures they discovered that they had a hive mind, they came from another reality entirely, and they were resistant to phaser fire. After an experiment that left Segorn temporarily blind, they also discovered that they were vulnerable to Ultraviolet light. They treated Peter with just the UV light, and it left him free of the creature. They were subsequently able to use the satellites surrounding the planet to direct the Ultraviolet light so that it destroyed the creatures but did not harm any other inhabitants of the planet.

"These are the bare facts of what happened," Simon said. "They do not cover the fact that the planet checked in every two weeks, as required since Tarsus IV, in spite of there being evidence that these creatures invaded eight months before. It also doesn't show that most of the inhabitants' memories are wiped for most of this time. Yes, Dr. Kirk?"

"My niece and nephew, Penny and Peter, they're starting to remember bits and pieces of it," Jim quiet replied.

"Huh, this is recent?" Simon asked. Kirk nodded. "Thank you, Cadet. Also, of the 25,000 inhabitants, about half were either dead or missing. We'll talk about recent developments regarding the missing in the next class. Peter now lives with his uncle, and other orphans were found homes on Deneva, or placed with relatives elsewhere. The only humans who weren't affected were the very young. Documents suggest they were removed from their families and placed elsewhere to await a coming of age. Many of these children have never been found."

Simon paused, "Now, I want all of you to think about this and what we might have been able to do differently. Remember, Archeologists had just begun to discover this pattern when Deneva occurred. There might have been nothing that could have been done to stop it. I want each of you to analyze the data we have, and come to your own conclusions. The next class, we'll here from Captain Pike about what he saw on Deneva. Class dismissed."

Jim stood, taking a deep breath while several other cadets stood talking, clumped together. Deneva was such a recent tragedy that everyone knew someone who was touched by it. "Are you okay?" Gloria asked.

"Yes, and no," Jim whispered. He took a deep hitching breath, "We need to get to our next classes." Gloria nodded. Jim would deal with this in his own way. He knew where to find her if he needed her.

**Well, what do you think? This is the bare bones of the story. Although Starfleet wasn't alerted to the problem by a random "phone call". The Enterprise was worried because Jim hadn't been in contact with Sam for a while, and he wanted to know if he was alright. Tough chapter to write, really.**


	22. Illness

**Illness**

by Starsinger

**Don't worry, not killing anybody off, but Jim finds himself with a handful of a terrified little girl. Don't own them.**

"Uncle Jim? Uncle Jim!" Jo's terrified little voice woke him out of a sound sleep. He blinked at the little girl. "It's Papa! He won't wake up!"

Jim shot straight out of bed, grabbing the bag that Starfleet insisted all medical students keep with them as he went. He raced into Bones' room only to find the man talking deliriously, even from the end of the bed Jim could feel heat radiating off the man. "Jo, I need you to go get dressed," he told the little girl. She nodded and left. He turned to open his bag to find Peter and Penny standing in the doorway. "Peter, Penny, I also need you to get dressed. I'm calling daycare and having them send someone to watch you." They nodded, looking at their Uncle Leonard.

Penny straightened, "I'll call Starfleet Emergency Medical Services, too." Jim nodded, Penny was very mature.

Jim ran a tricorder over McCoy's body. There was a definite infection going on that Jim couldn't pinpoint. He picked up his comm and called the emergency number for the Daycare, "Hey, this is Dr. Kirk. Cadet Leonard McCoy, my roommate, has become very ill, and I'll be going with him and his daughter, Joanna, to the hospital when EMTs arrive. I need someone here to look after Peter and Penny."

A sleepy voice immediately replied, "Yes, Dr. Kirk, we'll send the person next on call list."

"Thank you," he replied as he heard knocking on the door. One of the kids opened the door as paramedics rushed into the room.

"Dr. Kirk, what's going on?" Priscilla asked. She was a short, brunette, who was technically a civilian working for Starfleet General.

"Patient presented with a high fever of 104°F and sudden signs of illness. He was complaining of a slight headache but did not give any information about other symptoms and did not appear to be feverish. His daughter, Jo, woke me a few minutes ago worried about her father." He smiled at the little girl. Jim stepped back and let the EMTs take over. He ran out of the room and got dressed. He emerged from his room to find one of the kids' daycare teacher, Mrs. Abigail, in the room.

"Go ahead, Dr. Kirk. I'll watch the kids," she told him.

Jim took Jo's hand and followed the ambulance to the hospital. There, he did one of the most difficult things a physician can do. He stayed in the waiting room with Jo for word on Leonard. Dr. Reynolds came out after what seemed like hours, he looked at both of them, "Have either of you been vaccinated for Vegan Choriomeningitis?"

Jim thought about it, long and hard, "I don't think I have. I don't know about Jo or the others? Is that what's going on?"

"If you hadn't called us when you did, he would never wake up again, Jim. Bring the other kids in and we'll get you all vaccinated. Just as a precaution," Reynolds sighed. "This is still very serious, Jim, Jo," he squatted down so he could look Joanna directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, Miss McCoy. Your Daddy is very sick."

"Is he going to die?" Jo asked.

"I hope not, Joanna. His prognosis is actually very good, now. He's responding to the medication we're giving him, but he's going to be with us for a while. A few weeks at least," Dr. Reynolds bedside manner was very good. "He's in isolation right now, so you won't be able to see him today."

Jim looked at Jo, "We'll come by every day and visit him, Jo, okay?" Jo nodded.

They returned to the apartment after receiving their vaccines to have confirmation that the doctors had been by to vaccinate everyone in the building, including Peter and Penny. Jim thanked Abigail before heading over to the wall comm unit. An elderly woman appeared on the screen, "Hey, Hannah, it's me, Jim. I have some serious news regarding your son, you'll probably want to come to San Francisco." Jim picked Hannah up at the Shuttleport later that day.


End file.
